


Unsung Heroes: Mission Two

by Raven Ladies (empressmish)



Series: Unsung Heroes [4]
Category: Biohazard | Resident Evil (Gameverse), G.I. Joe - Fandom
Genre: Action, Adventure, Bio-Weapons, Bio-terrorism, Blood, Cobra - Freeform, G.I. Joe - Freeform, Gore, M/M, Male/Male, Medical, Military, Slash, Strong Language, T-Virus, Umbrella Corp, Violence, Zombies, mutated creatures
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-06-11
Updated: 2013-08-04
Packaged: 2017-12-14 14:57:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 21
Words: 96,261
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/838182
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/empressmish/pseuds/Raven%20Ladies
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>G.I. Joe/Resident Evil crossover.  Lifeline fears the worst when it appears that the Joe's newest member may have been infected with an Umbrella-created bio-weapon.  Lifeline/Billy Coen, violence, gore, action, and strong language.  (Co-written with Lady Ravenlocke and originally published under the pen name, Raven Ladies.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> This story takes place immediately after the events in Unsung Heroes: MIssion One. We would suggest reading that first for continuity.

_Disclaimer: This story is a work of fanfiction and is intended for entrainment purposes only. G.I. Joe, Resident Evil are the property of their respective creators, distributors and owners. The overall plot, as well as any and all original characters are the property of the authors._

 

Unsung Heroes: Mission Two

Chapter One

 

Shielding his eyes from the sun, Edwin Steen watched the chopper as it landed. Waiting until the blades died down a bit, Lifeline moved forward, the white lab coat he was wearing whipping in the wind. In deference to his visitor, the medic had decided to forgo his usual red and white uniform for a set of regular olive green fatigues. Reaching for the door of the helicopter, Edwin pulled it open and stepped back a bit.

After a few moments, the slight figure of a young woman appeared in the doorway. Pausing momentarily, she took a quick glance around before her green eyes fell on the man holding the door. Flashing the soldier a small smile, she took his offered hand as she lithely jumped down from the chopper.

Lifeline blinked as he looked at the woman, wondering if maybe he had met the wrong helicopter. The woman – no, _girl_ , for that's what she looked like – had light brown hair that had been pulled back into a ponytail, strands of which were being pulled loose by the wind kicked up by the copter's blades. She was rather petite, not much over five feet tall, with a slim figure that in more trendy circles might be called waifish. If Edwin had been called upon to guess, he would have put her age at seventeen or eighteen at the most.

"You must be Lifeline," she said, her voice rising to be heard over the chopper.

The medic nodded, even more puzzled. "And you are...?" He asked, his voice also rising to be heard over the whirling blades.

"Rebecca Chambers," came the reply, as the young woman offered Edwin a faint smile.

" _Doctor_ Chambers?" Lifeline blinked again. "From the CDC?"

"Yes, that's right." The young woman nodded. "I appreciate you arranging transportation for me so quickly."

"No problem." The medic replied as he started to move away from the chopper.

"If you don't mind too much, I'd like to take a look at that body you sent me the pictures of," Rebecca said. "As soon as possible."

"Body?" Edwin asked as he paused to open the door that led inside the main complex building.

The question seemed to catch Rebecca off-guard, and she regarded him a moment before speaking again. "Weren't the photos and that file you sent me from another corpse?"

"No," Lifeline replied, a slight frown between his dark brows. "They're from a patient."

A frown touched Rebecca's features; clearly that wasn't the answer she'd been expecting. As they stepped into the building, she reflexively smoothed her hair out of her eyes, ignoring the few stubborn wisps that fell back into her face. Her expression was grave as she looked over at Edwin again. "Are those the only marks on the patient?"

Letting the door close behind them, Lifeline stepped inside after Rebecca. "He has the same marks on his back and also on the tops of his thighs, but so far that's all."

"How severe are they on his back?" she asked, an urgent tone in her voice.

Edwin thought for a moment. "Worse than those on his abdomen. That's where they first appeared."

"Shit." The word slipped from Rebecca's lips before she could catch herself and she blushed a bit. "Er... sorry."

The medic smiled a bit, the expression only momentary before it slipped away. "So what is it? From your reaction, I'm guessing you have some idea."

"I have an idea, but I'd rather wait until I've checked the patient over myself before I say anything."

"Of course," Lifeline said, altogether not too happy by the response as he motioned towards the short flight of stairs that led down, indicating that Rebecca should precede him. Rebecca's expression became thoughtful as she descended, her hands sliding into the pockets of her own lab coat as she walked.

After reaching the bottom of the stairs, the pair quietly walked a short distance down the hallway to an elevator, the door sliding opening within a few moments of the medic pressing the call button.

"Is there anything else I should know about the patient? Anything that wasn't in your report?" Rebecca asked once they were inside the elevator car. "Anything that may have cropped up in the last few hours? Anything?"

Edwin pushed the button for the infirmary floor and shook his dark head. "Other than the extreme pain he's in..." the medic said. "I gave him an epidural; it seems to have helped but..."

"But nothing you've tried is killing the pain, is it?"

Once again Lifeline shook his head. "The only thing I haven't tried yet is morphine. I'd rather not have to do that, except as a last resort."

"I'm inclined to agree," Rebecca said with a nod, and then sighed softly.

The pair fell into silence as the car continued its slow descent. They were only a couple of floors above their stop before Edwin spoke again. "It's the T-Virus, isn't it – or an off shoot of it?"

"Yes... and no."

Edwin closed his eyes, his hand unconsciously clenching into a fist. "God, you don't know how much I wanted to hear you say I was wrong," he said softly.

"You may be, and you may not be," Rebecca said. "I won't know more until I've seen our patient."

* * *

 

The elevator slowed and came to a stop, the door sliding open a few seconds later, Lifeline and Rebecca stepping out into another hallway. "The infirmary is this way," the medic indicated before starting down the hallway. Rebecca's steps were all but silent in the corridor as she fell into step behind Lifeline, resisting the urge to pick up the pace.

The pair only had to walk a short distance before the hallway segued into the main reception area of the infirmary. Several of the nurses and orderlies currently on duty stopped to glance at Lifeline and his guest before returning nervously to their work. Since Billy Coen's admittance, the chief field medic's near legendary patience had eroded into to shadow of its former self, with Edwin occasionally snapping at the staff for various infractions that he would normally have let go before. It made for an atmosphere that was often very quiet and tense.

Leading Rebecca through the main area, they passed into another short hallway towards the critical care ward. Just outside the door however, Lifeline stopped and looked at the young woman. "Just to warn you... he doesn't know."

"You haven't told him yet?" Rebecca asked, an eyebrow raised curiously.

Edwin shook his head. "I thought it was better to wait until I could get a second opinion, in case by some miracle I was wrong."

Rebecca nodded and gave Edwin a reassuring smile. "Of course. I'd rather get a good look before we say anything, just in case I've misinterpreted the information you sent me." The medic nodded in agreement before opening the door for the young woman.

Rebecca stepped into the room, blinking at the lower light, nearly blinded after being out in the bright sunlight and under equally bright fluorescents. As her eyes adjusted, she caught sight of the figure, obviously male, lying on the bed. He was perfectly still, save the slow rise and fall of his chest as he breathed, and an occasional twitch of pain.

Softly closing the door behind him, Edwin stepped in after Rebecca. Moving past the young woman, he went to the bed, his dark eyes flicking over it's occupant before going to the monitor next to the bed which tracked the man's vital signs. As Edwin halted in front of the monitor, the male in the bed shifted slightly, head turning to face the medic. Just as it did every other time that he came into the room and looked down at Billy Coen, Lifeline felt his heart clench. If it had not of been for Rebecca's presence, the medic would have reached out and touched the Marine's sleeping face.

Rebecca followed Lifeline quietly and stopped beside the bed, gazing down at the figure. "Will it disturb him if we turn the light up just a bit?"

"It shouldn't," Edwin replied as he moved away back towards the door and turned up the dimmer switch, brightening the room a bit.

Rebecca blinked as the lights brightened, and she laid eyes on a man who'd been nothing more than "the corpse" or "the patient" up until that precise moment. A hand lifted to cover her mouth and she stared at Billy in disbelief. Watching the young woman's reaction from across the room, Edwin felt a sense of dread and rushed forward. "What is it? What's wrong?" The medic's dark eyes immediately fell on the man in the bed, looking for whatever had caused Rebecca to react so.

"Billy," she whispered, letting her hand drop away from her mouth again. It hung limply at her side as the Marine stirred at the sound of his name. "Lieutenant Coen..."

Lifeline looked at Rebecca, an expression of puzzlement on his face. _How...?_

The words that floated up from the bed were so soft, they were almost inaudible, as heavily laced with pain as they were slurred from the painkillers. "... still... fantasizing about me... are you?"

Edwin's puzzlement deepened even more, as he looked from Billy and then back to Rebecca as she moved closer to the bed, looking down at the Marine. She wore a fond smile on her face as she reached out and brushed a stray lock of hair from his face, shaking her head as the stubborn tendril fell forward again. "I should have known it was you..." she said softly.

"You know me... always getting by... by the skin of my teeth..."

"You two know each other?" Edwin asked, his dark eyes once again shifting from one to the other.

Rebecca nodded, and looked up at the medic. "Billy saved my life more times than I can count..."

"... and that was just in one night," Billy chimed in.

The medic's eyes widened a bit as realization finally dawned on him. "Rebecca... you're _that_ Rebecca?"

The surprise on Edwin's face made Rebecca chuckle. "Rebecca Chambers, former Raccoon City P.D., S.T.A.R.S. unit, Bravo Team."

"What are you doing here, Becca?" Billy murmured.

"I work for the CDC now," she replied quietly. "They called me down here to check you out."

"Why?" Billy frowned. "What do they think I've got?"

"Honestly, we're not quite sure yet."

"Don't worry, we'll figure it out and have you back on your feet in no time," Edwin said as he looked at the Marine, giving Billy a small smile that he really didn't feel.

Rebecca nodded her agreement. "In the meantime, I need to give you a once over. That okay?"

Billy mustered a weak smile. "I guess I can give you permission to play doctor for awhile."

In spite of the soft flush that lit Rebecca's cheeks, she managed to keep her tone even as she replied, "I actually _am_ a doctor now, wise guy, so be nice."

"I'm always nice."

Lifeline watched the pair, listening to the playful banter between Billy and Rebecca. The medic had heard all about the young woman and how she and Billy had first met on the outskirts of Raccoon City when the Marine had been on his way to Regarthon military prison to face execution after being wrongly convicted of the murder of twenty-three people. From what Billy had told Edwin, he and Rebecca had spent a harrowing night trapped inside a hidden Umbrella facility fighting off flesh eating zombies, mutated baboons, leeches, and a Tyrant – the Marine's first encounter with one of the nearly unstoppable psychopathic juggernauts. When the two of them had managed to break free and reach safety, Rebecca had chosen to let Billy go rather than apprehend him and turn him over to the authorities.

It had started as an unwilling alliance, but had quickly turned into a hard and fast friendship, and it was easy to see that in the way they spoke to one another. Billy clearly had a soft spot for the young woman, his gaze softening slightly when their eyes chanced to meet. Rebecca, for the most part, seemed almost embarrassed as she checked Billy over, fingers gliding lightly over the bruises striping the Marine's skin. Edwin was relatively quiet as he watched Rebecca, offering up his stethoscope or other instruments as needed; or answering questions when asked. Despite her youthful appearance, the green-eyed young woman seemed to know what she was doing, her exam brief yet thorough. By the time she was done, her expression was pensive, her hand resting on Billy's shoulder. The Marine was looking up at her, a frown on his face. It wasn't hard for him to read Rebecca's expressions, and Billy had learned all too quickly just what that look meant. "Clue me in?" he asked.

Rebecca shook her head. "Not yet," she replied, then smiled a bit. "I've still got some things I need to poke through."

"I think you've poked through everything there is to poke through without offending your delicate sensibilities."

"Billy, after spending a night with you dodging leeches, zombies and monsters, I have no sensibilities left, delicate or otherwise."

Lifeline couldn't help smiling a bit at that, having had his "sensibilities" tried by the Marine over the past few months. The medic couldn't help but feel that Billy got some kind of perverse entertainment out of pulling a blush from him.

Billy chuckled softly, then winced as another wave of pain went through him. Rebecca's expression sobered in response and she looked at Edwin. "I'd like to take a look at Billy's medical records, if it's not too much trouble."

"Of course," the medic said with a slight nod of his head. "I'll get them for you." His eyes lingered on Billy for a moment before Edwin turned away from the bed and headed towards the door.

"I'll come with you. He should get some rest, anyway," Rebecca said, stepping quickly to join him.

Slightly surprised, Edwin nodded his head once again. Pulling the door open, he motioned for the young woman to go ahead of him. Rebecca was silent as they headed for Edwin's office, and didn't seem inclined to speak until they had arrived. As soon as they had entered, she indicated for Edwin to shut the door, and sank into a chair wearily. Lifeline looked at Rebecca, his expression grim. "It's hopeless isn't it?"

"I don't know about hopeless, but it's bad..."

Edwin squeezed his dark eyes shut for a moment before dropping into his desk chair. Rebecca was silent for a few moments, before sitting up a little straighter in her chair. "I'm sorry. I wish I could put it more delicately."

"It's alright," the medic said quietly. "I... I knew, I just... I just wanted so much to be wrong."

"Well, it's not the T-Virus, like you were thinking," Rebecca offered after a brief hesitation. "This is something a little different."

Lifeline looked at the young woman. "But the blood samples... I know they weren't an exact match, but..."

"They're similar, I know. They also match the make-up of another Umbrella bio-weapon, one that was nicknamed a Nemesis. But the Nemesis isn't a virus. It's a parasite."

A slight frown wrinkled Edwin's forehead. "A parasite?"

Rebecca nodded. "Although I doubt this is a Nemesis parasite. Only about one in sixty million people are compatible with the it. As to what it actually _is,_ I'm not sure yet. Possibly some kind of variation on the Nemesis, maybe something altogether new?"

"How do we find out?"

"Seeing his records will help... I'll also need to do another battery of tests, including a sample of his cerebro-spinal fluid. That'll tell me for sure if I'm right or not."

"A spinal tap?" the medic asked.

Rebecca nodded. Lifeline closed his dark eyes for a moment before opening them and reaching for a thick manila folder on his desk and offering it to Rebecca. "Billy's file."

Taking the file and laying it across her lap, Rebecca regarded the medic quietly for a few minutes. "You know there's no way you could have prevented this, right?"

"That still doesn't make me feel any better."

"I know..."

"Here I thought capturing those vials of the T-Virus along with that disc would put an end to all of it." Edwin's voice held a slightly bitter tone as he spoke.

"Unfortunately, Lifeline, the T-Virus was just one small part of Umbrella's research. It just happens to be the most versatile and deadly one of the lot. Coincidentally, it also seems to be the one Umbrella handles with the least care."

The medic felt bile rising in his throat and he took a deep breath. Before he had a chance to say anything further, there was a strong rap on the closed door. Lifeline's dark brows quirked together as he rose from his seat and reached to open it. "Duke..." Pulling the door wider, Edwin stood to aside to allow the Joe's big blonde commander to enter. As he stepped into the room, Duke's icy blue gaze took in the small room before settling on the young woman seated next to Lifeline's desk.

In spite of her fatigue, Rebecca stood. She was silent, waiting for the large blonde to address her before she said anything. It was Lifeline who spoke first however. "Duke, this is Doctor Rebecca Chambers from the CDC," the dark-haired man said motioning to Rebecca. "Doctor Chambers, this is Duke, the Joes' field commander."

Rebecca inclined her head slightly. "It's a pleasure."

"Doctor Chambers," Duke said as he motioned for the young woman to resume her seat while Lifeline closed the door. "Let's not beat around the bush, what have we got on our hands?"

"I haven't got anything concrete yet," Rebecca replied honestly. "But if you want a lot of theories, I can give you those."

"Is it related to this T-Virus that Cobra had?"

"Yes and no." One of Duke's golden blonde eyebrows rose slightly. Rebecca sighed. "Look, I need to do a few more tests on the patient before I can say for certain just what he's infected with. The test results I was sent suggest something T-Virus based, but there are enough differences to suggest it may be an off-shoot of the virus, or a variation on some kind of genetically-created parasites. I just don't have enough information yet to say anything for certain."

The young woman's answer only slightly mollified Duke, "Fair enough." The blonde's blue eyes flicked over to Lifeline for a moment before turning back to Rebecca. "Is it contagious?"

Rebecca considered that for several moments before she shook her head. "I don't think so. The T-Virus is usually spread through blood or blood mixed in saliva. So unless the patient has a habit of gnawing on the orderlies, I don't think there's a risk of a full-blown outbreak. If there _was_ a risk, it would have happened already."

Duke fell into silent thought for a few moments before turning his attention to Lifeline. "Just to be on the safe side, I want Devil Dog moved to one of the containment units until we know for sure just what we're dealing with. No use taking any chances if we don't have to."

The medic nodded his head. "I'll see to it today."

"I want you to keep me informed every step of the way," the big blonde ordered, his gaze swinging between Lifeline and Rebecca.

"Of course," Rebecca said with a nod.

Edwin nodded as well, "Yes, Sir."

"Doctor Chambers," Duke said with a slight nod of his head before turning to leave. Since he was the closest to the door, Edwin opened it for his commanding officer, his expression a bit grim as the big blonde passed through the frame. Sighing softly, the medic closed the door and turned back to Rebecca. She was frowning slightly, looking thoughtfully at the file in her hand.

"Did you want me to leave you alone while you look through that?" Edwin asked, indicating Billy's medical record.

Nodding, the young woman sighed softly. "Do you mind if I stay in here?"

The medic shook his head. "No not at all. Take your time. If you need anything, just ask one of the nurses to page me."

"Thank you."

"No problem," Edwin said quietly, his dark eyes lingering on Rebecca for a moment before he reached for the door. "I guess I better go see about getting Devil Dog moved..."

Rebecca nodded, then reached down to open the file, slumping a little in her chair as she settled in for a long read.

* * *

After leaving Rebecca, Edwin stopped at the main desk to make arrangements to have one of the containment labs cleared out so that Billy could be moved into it per Duke's orders. Before the medic could make it to the Marine's room to oversee the transfer, he was called away to deal with a small emergency at the motor pool, leaving Billy's transfer to Lieutenant Sorenson and a pair of orderlies.

After bandaging up the minor injuries, Edwin returned to the infirmary to find that Rebecca had been escorted to the guest quarters by Sorenson, taking Billy's file with her. And before he could make his way down to see Devil Dog, he was once again called away on yet another emergency, this time in the mess hall. It was only several hours later after Billy had been moved down to the containment lab that Lifeline managed to make his way down there.

Entering the outer room, Edwin paused for a moment to look through the observation glass at his lover's prone form. From what he could see, the Marine appeared to be sleeping again. Stepping towards the door that led into the inner chamber, Edwin pressed the electronic control that opened the door, the reinforced steel sliding opening moments later.

Billy woke at the soft hissing, turning blurry eyes toward the medic. The transfer into the other room hadn't been an easy one; the pain unceasing even in spite of the epidural. So he had been given a dose of pain medication by Lieutenant Sorenson, and left to rest. The pain had dulled to a low throb, but not quite enough to let him sleep.

Quietly, Edwin made his way over to the bed, not wanting to disturb Billy. As he looked down at the Marine, he was a bit surprised to find the other man awake. "... What's...going on?" Billy asked quietly. Lifeline tilted his head a bit as he looked at the Marine curiously, and Billy fought back a spike of irritation. "Why'd they move me?" He pressed.

"So you could rest better," Edwin lied. "People wandering in and out of the infirmary at all hours..." As he spoke, the medic's hands moved to settle on the safety railing which was still up on the side of Billy's bed.

"... Can't sleep anyway..." One of Billy's shoulders pulled up into a shrug, a small spike of pain keeping him from calling Edwin on what he knew was a half-truth at best. Edwin was a lousy liar, but Billy simply didn't have the energy to fight him for the answers he wanted.

Lifeline's gaze softened as he looked at the other brunette. "I wish there was something else I could give you."

Billy shook his head. "Don't worry about it... I've survived worse." He offered his lover a weak smile.

The medic returned the smile with a small one of his own before reaching down to take Billy's hand in his, the first skin on skin contact that he had made with the Marine since Billy had been brought into the infirmary after collapsing on the practice range.

Billy's hand squeezed Edwin's tightly for a fraction of a second, the grip almost desperate. Because of the threat of infection, everyone who handled him for any reason since his collapse had been wearing latex gloves. While he understood the precaution, Billy couldn't help but feel like this rare skin on skin contact was a kind of blessing. Lifeline felt something clench in his chest and he squeezed Billy's hand in return as he struggled to keep the faint smile. "Hang in there for me," the medic said softly.

"I'm trying..." Billy said, his tone also soft. "This has just been... a little creepy, y'know? People are treating me like I'm a fucking leper..."

"I know. It's not intentional." The medic said, his hand still gripping the Marine's. "But it should be okay now. Doctor Cham -- Rebecca doesn't believe that you're contagious."

"... Then just what exactly does Rebecca think I have?" The faintest of frowns creased Billy's forehead.

"She wants to run a few tests first before we start narrowing down the possibilities." Edwin replied, hoping that it didn't sound too evasive.

Billy's frown deepened at the reply, the Marine's hand beginning to tremble as another wave of pain washed over him, and in its aftermath, left an unsettling thought. "... T-Virus?" _Good god, was this what every one of those people went through? But if it's the virus, shouldn't I already be showing other signs?_ Lifeline covered their joined hands with his other one, as the Marine involuntarily squeezed a bit harder as the spasm went through him. If he'd heard Billy's question, he didn't answer it.

Once the pain passed completely, and Billy remembered how to breathe, he repeated his question. "Isn't the T-Virus... is it?" He murmured softly, closing his eyes.

"She said no," Edwin replied after a few beats, the words just barely above a whisper.

"Thank god..." Billy whispered, almost going limp with relief.

While he had managed not to lie in answering Billy's question, still the medic couldn't help but feel guilty for keeping the rest of Rebecca's observations to himself. Edwin knew that the Marine deserved to know just what the woman suspected, but he just couldn't bring himself to tell Billy. After all, how did you go about breaking the news to your lover that he might be carrying around a parasitic life-form?

Their hands still tightly clasped together, Edwin stood at Billy's bedside silently, his eyes troubled as he looked at the dark-haired man, the Marine eventually drifting off into a light, restless and painkiller-fueled sleep.

* * *

Rebecca was pleased to see Billy was awake when she came into the room. Knowing he was in what had to be excruciating pain, she'd promised herself that if he was asleep, she wouldn't disturb him. Rest was most likely something that didn't come easily to him at that point, and Rebecca didn't want to be responsible for disrupting whatever rest he managed to find.

Luckily for her, that didn't seem to be a concern this time. Billy was not only awake, but alert, his eyes swinging over to Rebecca as she entered the containment lab. She summoned a smile that he returned warmly. "How are you feeling?" she asked, walking over to his bed and setting her testing supplies on the small tray nearby.

"Been worse," Billy replied.

"Think you can roll over on your side for me?"

The Marine was still for several moments, considering that, before he finally nodded. "Yeah, I think so," he said. "Gonna poke some holes of your own in me, then?"

"Only a few," Rebecca promised, reaching out to help keep him balanced as the Marine rolled over onto his side, wincing in pain as he did. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah. Nothing but a twinge," Billy promised.

"If you're sure." Rebecca started setting out her supplies in a little more organized manner, labeling each of the vials she was going to be using and laying out both syringes and latex gloves. "So tell me," she said, once she was ready, "how did you end up here of all places?"

"Would you believe it started when I almost got run over?"

At Rebecca's shocked and perplexed look, Billy chuckled softly and began to tell her about his first meeting with Edwin, which led into the story about his first adventure with Cobra. As he spoke, Rebecca listened attentively, circling around behind Billy and pulling on the latex gloves as she went. She untied the middle tie of his hospital gown, exposing the epidural. "Gimme just a little warning before you do that, huh?" Billy asked, jumping a little when his back was exposed.

"Sorry," Rebecca said. "I'm just about ready to get started. But please, go on. They disguised themselves as MPs?"

Billy nodded, picking up the thread of his tale again. Rebecca gave him a few moments to relax into the tale before she took the spinal fluid sample she needed, as well as a few fresh blood samples amidst giving him a more thorough examination. When Billy's unease at what she was doing seemed to be too much, she would pause if she could, ask him a few questions to get him talking again, and wait for him to relax before resuming her work. By the time she was finished with the exam and the sample-taking, Billy had told her pretty much the whole story, only omitting the part about he and Edwin becoming a couple. It wasn't that he didn't trust Rebecca with the information, only that one never could be sure who _else_ might be listening at any given time. When it came down to it, the Pit's rumor mill worked a little too quickly for Billy's taste, and he'd rather omit details than risk others getting wind of the real relationship between himself and the Joes' chief field medic.

"Well," Rebecca said as she slipped the last vial into its carrying case and stripping off her gloves. "That's a hell of a story."

"Believe me, Becca, _I'd_ have a hard time believing it if I hadn't actually lived it."

"I'm just glad you _survived_ it," she replied. "I was scared for you, after we got back in contact. I knew what kind of a risk it was...if we could find you, so could they, after all..."

Billy made a dismissive gesture as he got settled more comfortably into the bed again, gritting his teeth as a twinge of pain shot through him. "It's okay," He said. "I have a couple new scars from it, but it all worked out."

"That's true," She conceded with a nod. "And...I'm glad you were finally able to clear your name, Billy."

The Marine smiled. "Me, too. Thanks."

Rebecca grinned back, and then looked more critically at Billy. "I've gotta get back to the lab," she said. "Did you need anything before I go?"

"How bout a hug? I've missed you."

Rebecca beamed at that, lowering the safety rail on the bed and leaning over to give Billy the requested hug. Their embrace was a long one, something both comforting and familiar, and it was only with reluctance that Rebecca pulled away again. She pressed a warm kiss to his cheek, smoothing down his sheet and putting the safety rail back up again. "We'll get you patched up in no time," she promised.

Billy nodded. "I know you will."

* * *

Edwin stood next to Rebecca, the woman's green eyes on the MRI console in front of her as she double checked the settings. Meeting the medic in the infirmary just after breakfast, Rebecca had inquired about performing the scan and seemed a bit surprised to find that the Joes had an MRI on the premises. With just a few phone calls on his part, Lifeline had arranged to have Billy brought up to the MRI room where he and Rebecca then met the Marine and his escorts. It had been necessary to remove the epidural from Billy's lower back, but not before the ill man had been given another heavy dose of painkillers in the hopes that it would make things easier while the scan was being performed.

Once the Marine had been loaded on the table, Lifeline had explained to him the necessity of remaining still while the machine was operating in order for them to get the best possible image of his torso. The medic had also warned Billy of the close quarters once he was inside and told him – more than once – to just try and relax as much as possible. Edwin had given his lover a small and hopefully encouraging smile as the Marine slid into the circular chamber.

At first, Billy seemed all right. However, the further into the machine he went, he couldn't quite seem to calm the tiny tremors that went through him. He closed his eyes, in an attempt to make the space more bearable, but it didn't help. He had been expecting close, but the machine felt more like some kind of futuristic coffin than anything, and it was hard to ignore that fact, and even harder to ignore the pangs of panic that brought a metallic taste to his mouth.

Reaching out to the console, Edwin bent down to speak into a microphone attached to it. "Just relax," he intoned to the Marine through the small speaker inside the chamber before glancing at Rebecca to see if she was ready.

"I'm trying..."

Rebecca looked up and nodded. "The machine's ready to go. We just need to get the guest of honor calmed down."

Lifeline nodded, although he could feel for Billy, too, having been through an MRI before himself and not liking the experience all that much as he recalled. "Just take a couple good deep breaths, Devil Dog," he offered up via the microphone once again.

In reply to the words, Billy took a slow, shuddering breath. He wanted a cigarette, he decided. Very, very badly. Next to Edwin, Rebecca frowned a little. "After that dose of medication, we can't really sedate him, can we?"

"It was one or the other," the medic said as he looked at the woman. "He should be pretty doped up as it is. He's got enough painkillers in him to put down a race horse."

The woman's frown deepened. "Then technically, he shouldn't be able to shake like that at all..."

"Technically, he should be almost comatose."

"Shit..."

During this conversation, Billy finally gave up his struggle, feeling panic starting to rise up in him like a live thing. Lifeline glanced at the monitor before he spoke into the microphone. "C'mon, Soldier boy, don't lose it. Just a little bit longer and we can get this done and pull you out of there."

"I'm... trying... not to..." Billy hissed. After several long moments, he seemed to calm down some, forcing himself to relax.

"You better get a move on before he freaks out," the medic said as he looked at Rebecca.

Rebecca nodded wordlessly, starting the scan before letting her eyes drift back up to study the man within the machine. The sound of the MRI machine at work did nothing to calm the already agitated Marine, and although he had quit trembling somewhat, presumably from the medication, it was easy to see the sheen of sweat on his skin. "You really think he's gonna last out the thirty to forty-five minutes this is going to take?"

"Hopefully," came the reply, Edwin's eyes also on Billy's prone form.

Five minutes passed into ten, ten into fifteen, and they'd managed to make it to almost a full twenty minutes before it became clear Billy was _not_ going to be able to endure nearly an hour in the machine. Rebecca watched as long as she could in good conscience, before finally shutting down the scanner. "We're going to have to find another way of checking him out," she said firmly. "He's going half out of his mind in there."

Lifeline was out from behind the console before the words left Rebecca's lips, his long legs crossing the distance to the MRI in mere moments to remove the exam table from the scanning chamber.

Rebecca was right on his heels, reaching out to help steady the table as it slid out. Her green eyes took in Billy's too-pale skin, the sheen of sweat nearly dripping from his skin, and his sightless eyes. She swore; had they triggered something? She had seen him go into a state like this just once, back in the Umbrella training facility. She never had found out what caused it, or just where Billy went when his eyes glazed over. She had been afraid to ask then, and was no less uneasy now.

Edwin cursed under his breath as he looked at the Marine. Reaching over, he pressed his fingers to the side of Billy's neck to check his pulse, which was racing. Sliding his hand away from the other man's pale throat, the medic reached for his hand and laced their fingers together. "C'mon Billy, time to come back, its okay." There was no reply for a few moments, until Billy's eyes widened in what could have been surprise or pain, and he opened his mouth to gasp in a breath as a shudder passed through him. Lifeline winced a bit as the spasm caused the Marine to involuntarily squeeze his hand in an iron-like grip. "It's okay... we're right here..."

As suddenly as he had tensed up, Billy relaxed abruptly, gasping rapidly for breath as he blinked, his eyes focusing slowly. Reaching over with is free hand, Edwin pressed his fingers to the side of the other man's neck to check Billy's pulse, finding that it was still racing. "Take some deep breaths," he instructed as he looked down at the Marine. Billy's eyes locked with the medic's as he gasped in a few more breaths, each one a little longer than the one before, struggling to slow his breathing down to a level where he wouldn't hyperventilate. "That's right," Lifeline's voice was encouraging as he nodded his head. "Slow and deep."

It took several minutes before the Marine was calm enough to breathe normally, and he was able to loosen his death grip on Edwin's hand. As he did so, Rebecca stepped closer to Billy, reaching out and touching his arm gently. Billy jumped at the touch; up until she had brought attention to herself, the Marine had been unaware of her presence. _You're slipping, Coen,_ he thought to himself as he turned his eyes from Rebecca and toward Edwin again.

The medic met Billy's dark blue gaze, trying to muster up a faint smile for the other man as he did so. Billy forced a smile to his own lips, although the expression didn't touch his eyes. "We... should move him back to his room," Rebecca suggested softly to Edwin.

Lifeline pulled his eyes away from Billy's with some effort at the sound of the young woman's voice. "Uh, yes... let him get some rest..."

"Why don't you do that, while I see if we've got anything salvageable from the scan?"

Edwin nodded his dark head in agreement. "I'll wait for you downstairs."

With a nod of her own, Rebecca returned to the MRI console to look at what images had been captured by the machine before she had been forced to shut it down. With a bit of effort, Lifeline got Billy transferred to a waiting gurney, making sure that the Marine was settled and secured before turning to look in Rebecca's direction, the young woman's attention focused on the MRI monitor screen. From his vantage point, it was impossible for the medic to see anything and he could only hope that the machine had been able to pick up something in the short time that Billy had been inside of it. Turning his dark gaze away, he glanced down at Billy for a moment before pushing the gurney towards the door.

Billy was very quiet during their trip, closing his eyes. "... Sorry if I scared you," he finally said softly.

Edwin pushed the button to open the automatic outer door before wheeling the gurney into the makeshift room in the containment lab. "It's okay," he said as he looked down at Billy. "You only took about five years off my life. Any more than that and I might really be pissed, though."

That drew a weak chuckle from the Marine, before his expression sobered. "Guess I should've warned you I was claustrophobic..."

Lifeline stopped the gurney next to Billy's bed. "Yeah, that might have been a good idea."

"Usually isn't that bad..." Billy said quietly, as the gurney came to a stop.

"MRIs can make people who _aren't_ claustrophobic freak out." Edwin undid the straps that were crossed over the Marine to hold him securely before reaching to maneuver the ill man back into his hospital bed. "Although if we had known up front we could've tried something else, a CAT scan maybe."

Once Billy was settled, he nodded and sighed softly, settling back. The medic pushed the gurney off to the side next to the wall and returned to Billy's bedside, pulling the covers up over the prone man before perching on the side of the bed, having left the safety rail down. "What happened in there?"

"What do you mean?"

"It was more than just getting hit with claustrophobia." Edwin said gently.

Billy nodded. "Like I said, it usually isn't that bad. I'm used to getting uncomfortable, but I don't know where that panic attack came from. I just felt like I was stuck in a coffin or something and I had to get out."

Since they were alone at the moment, the medic reached down and covered the Marine's hand with his. "I know what you mean. I had the same kind of feeling when I was inside one." Lifeline's eyes were gentle as they looked Billy. "You're as white as a sheet."

"Guess I freaked out worse than I thought," Billy replied quietly, smiling as Edwin's hand settled on his. "I'll be okay."

Lifeline fell silent for a few moments, his dark eyes dropping to their hands. "I won't give up," he said quietly, raising his gaze. "Whatever this is, I'll fight it every inch of the way. I won't give you up to it Billy. Not without a fight."

Billy nodded at that, reaching over with his free hand to lay it on Edwin's. "You'll figure it all out, I know you will."


	2. Chapter Two

Chapter Two

The door slid open with a soft hiss, Lifeline's booted feet softly stepping over the threshold and into the observation area of Devil Dog's makeshift room in the containment lab. The medic had left the Marine dozing a couple of hours earlier, Billy appearing to be both physically and emotionally drained by the MRI attempt. After returning to his office, Rebecca Chambers had found him about half an hour later, the look on the young woman's face more than enough to tell Edwin that the MRI had yielded nothing useful. Before the two had been able to map out a new strategy, Lifeline had been called away to deal with a minor accident on the main loading dock, only to return to his office the find the CDC representative gone. Stopping by the supply room first, the medic had then made his way down to the containment lab.

He found Rebecca standing in the observation area, watching Billy through the glass as he rested, her expression pensive. She had his file clutched in one hand. She had, in fact, not been without it since her arrival.

"Doctor Chambers..."

Rebecca jumped at the sound of her name, and looked over at Edwin. "You startled me," she said softly.

"Sorry," the medic said, giving the young woman a quick apologetic smile.

"It's all right." Rebecca returned the smile briefly before looking back through the window. "You know, when I received those files...I never would have expected it to be him."

Lifeline stepped towards Rebecca, stopping when he reached her side, his dark eyes going to look at the man behind the glass as well. "At the risk of sounding like a dork, I guess it's true about it being a small world."

"No kidding..."

The medic fell silent as he looked at Billy's prone form through the thick glass. After several long moments, Rebecca broke the silence. "I think I know a way to get a look at what might be in his chest...Something that won't traumatize him in the process." Pulling his eyes away from the inner chamber, Edwin turned a bit to look at Rebecca. The young woman kept her eyes on the glass. "I should have thought of it before," she went on.

"We do have the facilities for a CAT scan if that's what you're thinking," Lifeline offered up, having had the same thought earlier.

Rebecca shook her head. "It's not. A CAT scan wouldn't give us the level of detail that we need. It's better suited to bones and such." Then she smiled faintly. "I was thinking of an ultrasound."

The medic thought for a few moments, before slowly nodding his head. "It just might work," he said looking back at the young woman, a faint smile on his face.

"Do you have the equipment here?"

Edwin shook his head regretfully. "No. It's not...well, it's not something we really have much of a need for here. I could probably get one here in a couple of days though."

"That would be better than trying to stabilize him enough to take off-base."

Lifeline nodded his head in agreement. "I'd rather not take him off the base if we don't absolutely have to, especially since we aren't quite sure of what we're dealing with yet." His dark gaze turned back to the glass and the man beyond.

"I agree completely," Rebecca said with a nod, then looked over at Edwin. "So why are you down here?"

"I could ask you the same thing," the medic responded as he turned his eyes back to the young woman next to him.

"I came down to ask him some questions, but I don't think he can answer most of the questions I need answered..."

"Like what?" Lifeline asked, his head tilting to the side a bit.

Rebecca tapped the file in her hand. "This isn't complete."

"It's all we have, everything since he first came into Joe custody. I tried requisitioning his original records from the Corps but...well, they seem to have been 'lost'."

Rebecca frowned. "He can't remember the name of the institution they took him to, either."

"I don't think he knows," Lifeline said quietly. "He told me about all the rest, though. I know everything, from the mission his team was sent on, the court martial, what he remembers about the institution – all of it."

"But he wasn't able to name the facility?" Rebecca looked surprised.

Edwin shook his head. "No, and truthfully, at the time I just figured it wasn't all that important."

She nodded at that. "...we need those records..."

The medic quietly regarded Rebecca for a few moments. "I suppose I could try asking again, I don't want to upset him. He's already...emotionally he's..." Lifeline trailed off and shook his dark head, squeezing his eyes shut as he turned his face away from the young woman and towards the security glass again. Opening his eyes, he focused on the man on the other side. "I'll ask him about it, but I won't push him."

"Understood," Rebecca said softly. "Now, what was this about his emotional state? I know all of this has to be freaky for him, but..."

Edwin turned and leaned against the glass. "I – I wasn't here, so I can only tell you what I was told."

Rebecca nodded, her eyes on the medic as he moved. "That's all right."

"One of his subordinates came to see me not long before his collapse; he said he was worried about Devil – about Billy – that he thought that he was sick or something, maybe even having a breakdown of some kind. He said that Billy had been isolating himself, and snapping at everyone when he had to deal with them; and that he'd become aggressive and agitated." Lifeline's voice was soft as he spoke. "He even got into it with a couple of senior Joes, too."

"Somehow, I doubt that went over well with the higher-ups."

"Not it didn't," the medic said with a slight shake of his dark head. "From what I heard afterwards, he wasn't very far from an official reprimand and brig time. Scarlett told me that Duke had Billy in his office for almost an hour laying him out after he and Leatherneck had to be pulled off one another in the mess hall."

Rebecca frowned. Billy was, she knew, an aggressive man who wasn't afraid of a fight, but he had never seemed like a needlessly violent person. On the other hand, if what he was carrying was T-Virus or Nemesis parasite based... "Any idea how long it was between that and his collapse?"

Edwin's brows quirked together as he thought, "I don't know exactly. I was gone for a little over two weeks. Hancock would probably know for sure."

Rebecca smiled a bit and nodded. "Well then, I should probably go talk to him, and leave you to do whatever it was you came down here for."

"I was going to replace the catheter for the epidural." Edwin said as he pulled away from the wall. "I was hoping that maybe he would be able to sleep a little better without it for bit."

"All right. Is there somewhere we could meet after I've finished talking to Hancock? All things considered, we should probably make sure we're both working from the same info."

"I'm done for the day," Lifeline replied. "Although I was thinking of staying down here after I got done – you know, keep him company for a while."

"Why don't I come back here, then."

The medic nodded his dark head before stepping towards the automated door that opened into the containment room.

* * *

As she made her way down the hall toward the Infirmary, Rebecca tried to remember everything Billy had told her about his unit. She knew, for example, they were really more of a special task force than a traditional unit. When they weren't running drills or out on missions, they had other individual duties to see to. The only exemption they received was that they weren't allowed to be assigned individually to missions that would take them out of the country. In the event that they needed to be mobilized, it was necessary that they be close at hand.

The team was also made up mostly of Marines. Given that Billy was a Marine himself, that revelation hadn't surprised Rebecca in the least. What mattered most to her, of course, was that these were the people Billy spent the majority of his time with. These were the people who saw him daily, and they would be the ones best able to give Rebecca the information she needed.

The infirmary was relatively quiet when Rebecca went in, something the young woman was exceedingly grateful for. Her entrance was noticed almost immediately, and a slender African-American man walked toward her. He was a handsome man, with a toned musculature, kind eyes and a friendly smile on his lips, one that Rebecca found herself immediately drawn to. "You must be Doctor Chambers," the young man said, his tone smooth and calm, holding out his hand as he came to a halt in front of her; the other arm was in a sling. Rebecca nodded and smiled a little, and the man went on. "Lance Corporal Marcel Hancock. Lifeline told me you might need to talk to me at some point."

Rebecca nodded again. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Corporal."

"Please, call me Marcel."

That made the young woman smile. She'd been a little nervous about the meeting, but Hancock's easy-going manner was quickly putting her at ease. "I'd like to talk to you about Lieutenant Coen, if that's all right. The rest of your teammates, too, if that's possible."

Hancock nodded. "Sure," he said, and glanced at his watch. "They'll all be down in the Mess Hall right now."

They took the walk from the infirmary to the mess hall in silence, Rebecca already trying to gather her thoughts so she could ask the questions she needed to without stumbling over her own tongue too much. Hancock didn't seem bothered by the quiet at all, seemingly lost in his own thoughts. _Probably trying to remember everything he thinks I'm going to ask him about,_ Rebecca decided, and maintained her silence, not wanting to interrupt his thoughts if that was the case.

The mess hall was crowded when they went in, but Hancock led her through the throngs of people effortlessly, stopping only now and again to talk with a well-wisher, or someone who was curious about Rebecca's presence. In both situations, Hancock was brief but never rude, the urgency in his replies extricating himself quickly as he led Rebecca to a far corner. "That's the unit over there," Hancock said, nodding his head toward the table ahead of them.

A few of the table's occupants noticed their approach, and hailed Hancock. To Rebecca's surprise, there were nearly as many women as men, and they seemed like a very diverse group. Hancock, Kenya Strong, and Raphael Hopper were all African-American. Apparently there was a fourth member who was as well, Jocelyn Freeman, although she was still recovering from a mission-gone-wrong. Raphael Hopper, their pilot, was the tallest and bulkiest of all the men. Kenya, the group's hacker, was his exact opposite, solidly built but slender and very short. Franklin Daniels was one of the quieter members, gifting Rebecca with a gentle smile, but remaining silent. He was a redhead with a dusting of freckles over his nose and cheeks, and had a rather unnerving habit of sitting absolutely still when he spoke. Hancock explained, perhaps sensing Rebecca's unease, that Daniels was their sniper and secondary pilot. Nancy Dale was probably the youngest of the unit, a quiet brunette girl who said very little. She was their Intel officer, and also a hacker herself. Of all the members she met though, none struck Rebecca quite as strongly as Billy's second-in-command, Nina Hutchinson.

The woman was as strongly built as any of them, sporting short-cropped blonde hair and piercing eyes. She studied Rebecca silently, and only nodded at Rebecca as Hancock ushered her into a seat among them all. "Guys," he said. "This is Doctor Chambers. She's with the CDC, and she wants to talk to us about the Lieutenant."

"What would you like to know?" Hopper asked, leaning back a little in his seat and regarding Rebecca a little warily now.

Rebecca smiled in reply and forced herself to relax in her seat. "I'm here to try and figure out what's wrong with Lieutenant Coen, and to do that, I need as much information as I can get about him. And while I can learn a certain amount from the tests we've been doing, I also need to know about other things."

"Like if he's been acting screwy in the head or something," Kenya piped in, clearly unimpressed with the explanation.

"C'mon guys," Hancock said. "She's not here to try and lock him up or anything. And you remember what the Lieutenant said. All those viruses and things can do weird shit to people."

It was Dale who spoke next. "So you think he's got the virus." It wasn't a question.

Rebecca shook her head. "Honestly, we're not sure what he's got yet. It might be related to those victims you've been finding, or it might be something totally different."

Silence fell over the table for a time, while each of the members sized Rebecca up. It was clear they didn't trust her or her motives, and were extremely protective of their commanding officer. Rebecca couldn't really blame them. It was likely they all knew what he'd suffered up to this point, and it was clear they had no intentions of betraying him like his last unit had, even inadvertently.

"What kind of information are you looking for, exactly, Doctor?" Hutchinson's voice was low, her arms crossed over her chest.

"Any kind of oddities in his behavior, anything at all that might help me determine if he's got some kind of illness, if he's in the process of having a complete breakdown, or if there's something else more serious wrong." Rebecca didn't like having to use even half-truths with these people, but she didn't dare tell them about her suspicions. Like she had with both Duke and Lifeline before, she had no intentions of raising more hopes or fears or doubts than she absolutely had to until she could determine for sure just what Billy had. Again, a silence fell over the table, and when it broke, Rebecca found herself being painted a rather unnerving picture.

She was told about their ambush by Cobra, the mission that resulted in both Freeman and Hancock being injured. Billy had taken that hard, they said, clearly blaming himself even though it had been the decision of the _unit_ to disobey his orders and go back for him. When Freeman's condition worsened, and she was eventually shipped off to Walter Reed Medical Center for further treatment, Billy only seemed to get worse. In spite of whatever inner turmoil was going on, however, business carried on as usual, at least mostly. Hutchinson more or less took over the unit during those periods. She explained to Rebecca that she wanted to give Billy the time he seemed to need to check on his two injured subordinates.

The oddness, Hopper offered up, hadn't started happening until after the lock down on base, one caused because of the odd gas-emitting device they'd found pumping its strange chemical compound into the base's ventilation system. At first, they'd thought it was just a product of being too stressed out from the quarantine itself, but the oddities has persisted, even beyond that. It began with small things, Billy's temper becoming hair-trigger and unpredictable. The unit dismissed it, but things only seemed to get worse.

The continuing aggressiveness and hostility finally came to a head when Billy got into a knock-down, drag-out fight with Leatherneck, one of the older Joes. Rebecca frowned immediately at that. Billy had a temper, she knew that. Billy also wasn't afraid of a fight. Hell, to her, it didn't seem like Billy Coen was afraid of _anything_. But what didn't suit the man's personality was getting into a fight like that while stone-cold sober with a superior officer. Even Billy's unit thought it odd, and no one seemed to be able to tell her anything about what had actually started the fight.

All they knew was that Duke had laid Billy out verbally, and made it clear brig time would be the least of the Marine's concerns if something like that happened again. That fight had been a few days ago. "And he's been acting strangely since," Strong went on.

"Strangely, how?" Rebecca asked, going on silently, _How much stranger can this possibly get?_

Much stranger, apparently. After his talk with Duke, Billy had virtually disappeared from view. When they did see him, he was always in full BDUs, although he looked worn out, and a little ill. Hancock tried inquiring once into the problem, but had been brushed off; the medic didn't want to push the subject and let it go. In retrospect, he told Rebecca, he wished he'd kept pushing. When they were all done speaking, Rebecca took up the thread of the story. "So after that, the next thing any of you knew about was his collapse on the practice range, correct?"

Kenya Strong was the one who nodded. "Yeah. He was going over some stuff with me and the others, and he just froze up."

"Had he been complaining about headaches, or anything else?"

Strong shook her head. "The Lieutenant doesn't ever complain about anything. He's always really quiet about that stuff."

Rebecca nodded. "So he froze up?"

"Yeah, and I went and got Hancock and Lifeline, and they took him down to the Infirmary. It was really weird, overall. He went all still, like someone flipped a switch in his brain off and on."

Rebecca filed that note away for later, and finally sat back. "And that's pretty much everything up to my arrival, right?" She asked. Nods all around the table. Rebecca stood. "Thank you all for your time," she went on. "If any of you think of anything else, let me know, please, or leave word with Lifeline or Hancock?"

Again, there were nods all the way around, and Hancock stood as well. "Did you need me to take you back to your quarters, Ma'am?"

Rebecca shook her head. "No, I'm headed back to the containment labs, and I think I can find my way back. Thank you."

Hancock nodded. "Hope we've been of some help to you."

In spite of the first beginnings of a headache, and the fact that Rebecca didn't feel any closer to a solution than she had been before, she smiled. "I hope so, too."

* * *

The door opened with a hiss, beckoning Edwin into the almost dreary silence beyond. Since the room had been created in a rather makeshift manner, it lacked even the meager comforts of a typical hospital room. It contained little more than the bed, a chair, a tray on wheels, and the monitors Billy was hooked to that kept track of his vital signs.

His tread light, the medic made his way over to the bed. Edwin had already decided that if Billy was still sleeping, that he would leave the Marine be rather than wake him. Edwin's footsteps drew Billy's attention, and the Marine sat up slowly, wincing a little as he did. "Hey, who said you could get up?" the medic asked as he reached the Marine's bedside.

"Sorry, Doc, but I think I'm done counting the cracks in the ceiling for the day," Billy shot back with a weak grin.

"No sleep?"

Billy shook his head. "I tried. Couldn't do it."

"Couldn't eat either from the look of things," Edwin said, his dark eyes glancing to the untouched tray on the table that had been wheeled over to the Marine's bedside. Again, the Marine shook his head.

The medic sighed a bit as he looked at Billy. "What am I going to do with you?" he asked, the usual joking tone in his voice whenever he asked the Marine that question missing.

"Put me out of my misery?"

"That's not even remotely funny."

"It wasn't meant to be."

"Don't," Edwin started, his dark eyes intent on the Marine, his voice taking on a harder tone. "Don't talk like that, Billy."

The edge on the medic's tone was enough to make Billy blink as he met Edwin's gaze for a few moments, then looked away. "Sorry."

Lifeline closed his eyes for a moment. "I'm sorry," he said softly. "I just...I just don't like hearing people talk like that, even if it is only a joke."

"Edwin, I'm not entirely sure I'm joking..." Billy said quietly. "If this thing turns out to be dangerous, and if there isn't a way to cure it..."

"No," the medic said firmly. "Once you start thinking like that is when you start to give up."

"I just don't want to be a threat to anyone..."

"Look, can we not talk about this right now?" Edwin asked softly, the subject apparently very upsetting to the medic.

Billy looked up, and nodded. "Alright." An uncomfortable silence fell over the two men, the only sound the beep of the monitor that kept track of the Marine's heartbeat and blood pressure. "So...what's next? Since the MRI didn't work, I mean," the Marine finally murmured, anxious to break the silence.

Billy's voice pulled Lifeline back from his thoughts. "We're going to try an ultrasound – Dr. Chambers' idea."

"An ultrasound? Like they use on pregnant women?"

"Exactly," Edwin said with a nod of his head. "The image won't be near what we could have gotten with the MRI, but it should work for what she wants."

"Well, at least it won't require me to be trapped in a tube."

"True. Just laid out with your chest bare."

"I think I can handle that."

"I had a feeling that would appeal to you much more," Lifeline said, with a faint smile. "Won't be for a couple days though, I have to get one flown in."

"Okay. And since I know you don't come down here because of my sunny disposition, what's up?"

"That's not true," the medic protested.

"Oh come off it, Edwin. You may like me, but I know I've been a complete bastard since they put me in here..."

"Would you rather be left alone?" Lifeline asked.

Billy shook his head. "Too much time for me to think is a bad thing..." he said softly.

"Depends on what you're thinking about," Edwin said softly as he looked at the Marine, he gaze softening. "If you're thinking that you aren't going to let this beat you down, then it's a good thing."

"...What I'm thinking is that I'm scared shitless, and I'm not liking it."

Reaching for the safety rail on the side of Billy's bed, Lifeline unlocked it and slid it down so that he could sit on the edge of the bed. "I know," he said quietly, reaching for his lover's hand. Billy gladly took that hand in his, lacing their fingers together. He didn't give a rat's ass who saw them at that particular moment in time. He just needed some kind of reassurance that he wasn't going to be alone through this particular ordeal. The two fell into silence once again for a few moments before Edwin spoke. "I was thinking," he started. "That once you're back on your feet, about taking some time off – the two of us."

"Yeah?"

The medic nodded his head. "There's something I've always wanted to try."

"What's that?"

"Deep sea fishing," came the reply with a faint smile to go along with it. "Florida or the Carolinas maybe." Edwin looked at the Marine. "What do you think?"

"I think it sounds good."

"Maybe you could bring Robby along."

That brought a genuine smile to Billy's lips. "He'd like that."

Lifeline's smile widened a bit, although there was a hint of sadness that crept into his dark eyes as he looked at Billy. The Marine's eyes turned to meet Edwin's and the expression there softened a little in response to the emotion in Edwin's face. After a moment, he hauled the medic in for a brief, rough hug and whispered. "I'm not going to give up, Edwin, I promise...I've got way too much to live for."

Lifeline's eyes slid closed as his arm snaked around the Marine, returning the hug before pulling back a bit after a few moments to press his lips to Billy's, not caring about where they were or who might see. Billy smiled into the kiss, breaking it a few moments later, and looked up at Edwin. "So seriously," he murmured. "What did you come down here for?"

"To play doctor," the medic replied, smiling a bit despite his more somber mood.

"Ah. Time to poke more holes in me, then?" Billy said with a levity he didn't entirely feel.

"'Fraid so." Edwin said as he released the Marine's hand and rose from the bed.  "Got to put the catheter back in." Reaching into the pockets of the lab coat he was wearing, he pulled out several packaged items.

"And here I thought my day couldn't get any better..."

Pushing the untouched dinner plate to the side, Edwin put the items down on the bedside tray and turned back to the bed. "C'mon Devil Dog, time to roll over."

"Bark," Billy said wryly, before shifting slowly to comply with Edwin's request, ignoring the smaller stabs of pain the movement sent through him.

"Good boy," the medic said with a small chuckle as he pulled on a pair of latex gloves before turning back to the items on the tray and opening them.

Once everything was laid out, Lifeline turned back to Billy, his deft fingers undoing several of the ties on the back of the other man's hospital gown. As he parted the fabric, he couldn't help but wince a bit at the stripes of bruised flesh marring the Marine's back. Rather than healing, they seemed only to be getting darker, although they were no longer increasing in size. Occasionally, something would ripple under the Marine's skin and Billy grit his teeth against the pain that rippling caused. "So tell me," he hissed through gritted teeth as he felt the hospital gown falling open a bit. "How bad has whatever this is tweaked the tattoo?"

"You're worried about the _tattoo_?" Edwin shook his head a bit, his gloved fingers lightly drifting over the inked flesh for a moment before dabbing at the skin around it with a local anesthetic. "It's still intact," he went on as he worked, the liquid quickly working to numb the area around where the medic would be inserting the needle for the catheter. "But there's a big purplish black bruise going through it, though."

"It wasn't exactly cheap," Billy replied with a one-shouldered shrug, his skin jumping a little when Edwin's fingers slipped over the inked skin. He settled down as the anesthetic started doing its work, and closed his eyes. _This is going to suck_ , the Marine thought to himself and did his best to fight down the reflexive uneasiness.

After a few minutes' wait to let the anesthetic do its work, Lifeline started in on the procedure, his attention focused squarely on the task at hand. Once the catheter was in place, he slowly withdrew the long thin needle, tossing it into the wastebasket near the bed before dabbing at the area around the catheter with an antiseptic soaked cotton ball to clear away the small beads of blood that had welled up around the insertion point.

As he heard the needle landing in the wastebasket, Billy forced himself to try and relax. Topical anesthetic was all well and good, but the needle had still pained him. "Done then?"

"All set," Edwin replied as he started to retie the Marine's gown.

Billy nodded, and was about to shift, when he gasped suddenly. He felt something undulate, pressing against his back from the inside out. He tried to ask just what was going on, but no words would come to his lips as the freshly inserted catheter was pressed from his back, the wound beginning to slowly close over. Lifeline managed to catch the catheter before it slipped away, a very puzzled look on his face as he did so. "What the..." the words died on his lips as he watched the skin on Billy's back knit itself back together, the small mark where he had inserted the catheter replaced by smooth skin in less than a minute. Edwin blinked his eyes, sure that what he had just witnessed had been a trick of his imagination.

The pain faded almost as quickly as it appeared, and Billy found his voice again. "What the hell just happened?!" he asked, not bothering to hide the uneasiness in his tone.

"I – I must not have had it in right," Edwin responded his wide eyes going from the catheter to Billy's back as he spoke.

Billy shifted to face his lover, the pain continuing to fade as he looked at the bloody catheter in Edwin's hand and quirked an eyebrow. "Isn't like you to miss..."

Lifeline looked at Billy. "These can be a little tricky sometimes," he said softly, still a bit confused as to what just happened.

"May as well take another stab at it while the anesthetic is still good."

"Yeah..." Edwin said as he looked at the catheter before dropping it into the trash. Turning back to the bedside tray, the medic reached for an unopened package – another catheter set up which he had grabbed out of habit in case something had been wrong with the first one. After opening it, he turned back to the Marine and restarted the process.

Things went less smoothly than before, Billy gritting his teeth in pain, hissing in a breath as the needle pierced his skin, flesh, and shifted into place. Almost immediately, he felt that same shifting, and then the same sensation of something pressing against his skin from the inside. "Edwin?" He hissed, his tone showing that he was both in pain, and agitated.

"I'm almost done," the medic said as he looked up at the other man. "Just let me make sure it's settled in before I remove the needle..." The pushing became more forceful than before, and so did the pressing. It pulled against the bruises, and the needle and catheter began to shift slightly as something rose against the surface of Billy's skin. "You have to stay still," Lifeline cautioned, unaware of what was happening internally to Billy, his attention focused on keeping the catheter from moving out of place.

"I _am,_ " Came the reply, irritation quickly replacing uncertainty, and Billy's tone dropped as the pressing became more firm, the flesh around the needle beginning to discolor. The medic frowned before reaching back with one hand for a roll of medical tape, intending to tape the catheter down to keep it in place.

The flesh around the wound continued to become more discolored, blood welling all around the needle before the skin split, both needle and catheter pushed out violently. There was a glimpse of something odd as the catheter and needle were expelled from the wound. A glimpse of something wriggling and almost eel-like that was gone almost as quickly as it appeared.

The sudden expulsion of the catheter, coupled with the momentary glimpse of something solid and moving was more than enough to startle Lifeline, causing him to take several steps back as the catheter slid away from Billy's back and onto the bed next to the Marine.

Billy cried out as he felt skin rip and shuddered with a low moan. He could still feel that strange something moving around, more acutely than ever. The pain washing through him was starting to gather in a blinding crescendo that left him speechless, sightless. Nothing existed in that moment for him but pain, and the odd sensation of something moving around inside of him. Something foreign. _Get a fucking grip, Coen!_ he snapped internally at himself. _You're letting your imagination get away from you._

He might have thought differently if he could have seen what was going on through Edwin's eyes, watching as the skin once again sealed over without so much as a red mark, the ring of bruising around the entry point already starting to fade away as well. Without realizing it, Lifeline's hand went to his chest, feeling his heart beating wildly, his dark eyes wide with disbelief as he watched the Marine's skin knit back together once again, and this time there was no denying to himself what he was seeing. Billy didn't notice, curling in on himself again as the pain felt like it was reaching critical mass. He'd been close to dying more than once, and this didn't feel quite like that, but it was bad enough.

His eyes focused on the Marine's back, it took several long moments before Lifeline took notice of Billy's distress. Once he did however, he immediately went to his lover's side, slipping his arm around Billy as he settled on the bed next to him. "Billy..."

"E-Edwin..." the Marine moaned, trembling with the pain that gripped him.

"It's okay...I'm right here..." the medic's voice was soft and choked with emotion, his dark eyes glistening with unshed tears behind the lenses of his glasses. "It'll be okay...it'll be okay..." The words became a litany, the medic whispering them over and over as he held Billy.


	3. Chapter Three

Chapter Three

 

Lifeline had pulled the chair up next to Billy's bedside, the medic aching to reach out and take his lover's hand. In the outer observation area, Lieutenant Sorenson and an orderly had taken up residence at the desk located there. Various built in monitors were now lit, displaying the Marine's vitals which were being transmitted via the monitors located at the unconscious man's bedside.

Edwin had called for help from the infirmary, the blonde nurse rushing to her superior officer's location within minutes with an orderly and the items the medic had requested in tow. Billy was now hooked up to an I.V., a slow morphine drip, the insertion of which had gone relatively smooth in light of what had happened with the catheter.

Standing beside Edwin, Rebecca frowned thoughtfully at the now slumbering man. "You're...absolutely certain about what you saw?" she murmured quietly. The medic nodded his head, his gaze still fixed on Billy. Rebecca sighed softly and shook her head. "Has he...figured anything out yet?"

"I – I don't know," Lifeline replied. "He...he did ask me if you thought he was infected with the T-Virus," he added, glancing up at Rebecca.

"What did you tell him?"

"What do you think I told him?" The medic uncharacteristically snapped back, instantly regretting it as soon as the words left his mouth. Closing his eyes, Edwin took a deep breath. "I'm sorry..."

Rebecca didn't so much as flinch at the outburst. "Don't be sorry...Lifeline, I'm as worried about him as you are. I understand..." she said softly, stepping up to Billy's bedside and reaching to brush Billy's hair back from his face.

Lifeline reached up and removed his glasses before rubbing his other hand over his face. "I told him that you didn't think he was -- infected, I mean." The medic's slightly fuzzy gaze went back to Billy's prone form.

"Good. Because he's not...although I don't know how we're going to explain to him just what he _does_ have."

Edwin fell silent for a few moments before he spoke again. "I'm going to have someone here around the clock to monitor him."

Rebecca nodded her agreement. "Good call."

"So what do we do now?" The medic asked; his chocolate brown eyes coming up to settled on the young woman standing next to him.

"Wait until he's had a chance to rest; and in the meantime, try to see if we can't hunt down any information at all as to the rest of Billy's medical records. This isn't a typical infection. Which means this was something that was done to him deliberately."

"I never did get a chance to ask him about the institution." Edwin was quiet a moment before he resettled his glasses. "The ultrasound should be here tomorrow, too."

"All right. We'll forget about quizzing him again on the institution, then, and worry about trying to get out information a different way." Rebecca turned from Billy's bedside. "And on that note, I think I'm going to go try and get some rest. You should try to do the same. Neither of us will be much good to him if we can't think straight."

The medic nodded his head, but made no attempt to rise from his seat.

Rebecca said nothing more, giving Edwin a gentle pat on the shoulder before heading out of the room.

* * *

Unlocking the door to his condominium, Edwin pushed it open and stepped inside, his hand going to the wall next to the door. After a few seconds, his questing fingers found the light switch and he flicked it on, the living room instantly filling with a soft glow. Closing the door, his eyes caught sight of Billy's cowboy hat hanging on its hook on the wall. The medic felt something well up in his chest as he reached out towards it, his fingers trailing over the black brim as he recalled the first time that he had seen the Marine wearing it. After several minutes, Lifeline's hand slipped away and he squeezed his eyes shut, willing himself not to break down and cry – a feeling he had been beating back since the incident in Billy's room with the catheter. Opening his eyes, his gaze lingered on the hat for a few moments before he turned away and headed towards the bedroom.

The medic had sat with Billy until sometime after midnight and had only left his bedside at the urging of the nurse who had come to replace Lieutenant Sorenson. Instead of staying on base, Edwin had felt a need to get away from headquarters and so he had driven home. He had not been home since his return to the base, staying in his small room in the officer's barracks after Billy's collapse.

As Edwin passed into the bedroom, other little odds and ends that spoke of the Marine's presence jumped out at him. A forgotten magazine here, a spare lighter there -- things that Billy would never have left lying about when they had first met. They were tiny, telltale signs that the condo was beginning to feel like home to the man who had been on the run for so long.

As the medic passed by one of the end tables, he noticed that the answering machine was blinking, the LED screen showing that a number of calls had been received in his absence. Without pausing, he passed it by, preferring to leave them for the next morning. Stepping into the bedroom, he reached for the lamp on the dresser, flicking it on before leaving his keys next to it. Sighing wearily, he ruffled his hand through his hair before starting to undress. As he was doing so, the phone began to ring, the sound shrill in the silence. The medic almost jumped at the sudden sound. Clad in only his pants, Edwin hurried out to the living room fearing that it might be someone from headquarters about Billy. Reaching for the cordless handset, he put it to his ear. "Hello?"

The voice on the other end was young, that much was immediately apparent. "M-Mister Steen?"

Lifeline frowned at the use of his given name by a voice he didn't know. "Yes, this is Edwin Steen."

"Thank god! I've been trying to call all week... This is Robby Coen. I'm Billy's son." Edwin covered his face with his hand, his eyes closing as he made a choked sound. _Oh god, no..._

"Uh...Mister Steen? Are you still there?" Robby asked when several more moments passed in silence.

"Uh yes, yes. I'm sorry, I uh...you surprised me that's all." The medic swallowed as he tried to steady his voice a bit. "Hello, it's nice to finally get a chance to talk to you. I've heard a lot about you."

"Really?"

"Your father talks about you all the time," Lifeline replied.

"Is he around somewhere? I'm really worried about him..."

Edwin's eyes once again fell on the black hat by the door and he squeezed them shut for a moment. "No, I'm sorry, he's not here right now." Remarkably, the medic's voice was relatively steady as he spoke, the tone much softer than before.

"Oh. Is he back on the base or something?" All at once the boy paused. "Um...or is he somewhere you can't tell me?"

Lifeline was quiet for a few moments as he considered his words. "I uh...I'm not sure where he is right now, Robby." The lie flowed off his tongue with relative ease, something that the medic wasn't sure he liked.

"Oh." The young man sounded terribly disappointed. After a few moments of silence, Robby spoke again. "I'm...really sorry I bothered you, Mr. Steen."

"It's okay Robby, I don't mind." Edwin said softly, putting as much sincerity into his voice as he could. "I just wish I could tell you something, but...well you know some of the things that your dad does are top secret, and he can't even tell me."

"I know...Thanks for your time."

The disappointment was strong in the young man's voice. "If you don't mind my asking, is anything wrong?" Lifeline asked.

"No...it's just...it's not like him to not call...I guess...Mom's got me kinda worried."

"How so?" the medic asked as he perched on the arm of the sofa.

"She just...well, she gets really mad at Dad sometimes...says stuff. I've just been worried about him. He usually calls every couple of days...I guess I'm just afraid something bad is gonna happen to him. I mean, they'd tell us if it did, right?"

"Of course they would," Edwin replied. "But I wouldn't worry too much. Your father is a strong man and a good soldier. I know he'll be okay."

"Yeah, you're right. Look, uh...if you see him or something...and he just can't call for some reason...will you tell him I miss him and I love him?"

The medic's eyes slid closed once again and he nodded his dark head unseen. "I will Robby, I promise." Lifeline's voice answered softly. "By the way, it's okay if you call here. I don't mind, really. I know sometimes it's hard to get anyone at your dad's office."

"I-if you're sure. I know he stays there when he's not at the base."

"He asked me and I said it was okay, so don't worry about it. Besides, it kind of gives you and me a chance to talk and maybe get to know each other better."

"Cool. But, um...I know it's kinda late, so I guess I should probably let you go. Thanks, Mr. Steen."

Edwin couldn't help but smile a little. "No problem. Oh, and for the record, you can call me Edwin if you want."

"Thanks. Um, bye."

"Bye...wait a minute. Do you have something to write with?"

"Uh...yeah, hang on just a second."

The medic waited for Robby to get back to the phone. "Here's my cell phone number in case you can't get an answer here. I'm probably going to be spending a lot of time on base so I won't be able to check the messages very often." He said when the young man returned to the line. "If something happens or if you just need to talk then call me on that okay?" Without waiting for a reply, Lifeline rattled off the numbers to Robby.

Robby wrote the number down carefully, and read it back to Edwin before replying. "I really appreciate this..."

"I promised your dad that I'd try to keep an eye on you when he wasn't around."

"Thanks...but I really oughta go. I'll, uh, talk to you later."

"Good night," Lifeline said, hanging up the phone once he heard the other end disconnect. Reaching up for his glasses, he slipped them from his face and set them on the table next to phone before covering his face with a hand.

_God, please don't make me have to tell that boy his father is dead...or worse..._

* * *

Through a haze of morphine-induced lethargy, Billy watched quietly as Rebecca and Edwin set about the task of setting up the ultrasound machine. He had a momentary image flash through his mind of the last time he'd seen a machine of that sort. It was when his wife was still pregnant, and he'd had the opportunity to go along with her to one of her doctor's appointments. He could still bring to mind that first glimpse of his son, and still feel a measure of the mingled fear and exhilaration at the idea that he was going to be a father. The memory drew a slight smile from him, before a fresh flash of pain slithered through his consciousness.

Edwin glanced down at the Marine, trying to give Billy a small smile of reassurance. Drawing on a few favors, the medic had managed to get the ultrasound equipment much earlier than he had anticipated and once it had been delivered to the base, he had wasted no time in seeing that it was set up under Rebecca's watchful eye in Billy's makeshift room in the containment lab.

Rebecca, for her own part, was getting the machine warmed up and ready, trusting Edwin to prep Billy for the procedure itself. Although she was a licensed doctor now, there was still a part of her that felt uncomfortable handling Billy in any way that required the removal, or relocation, of clothing. It wasn't something she was going to be able to easily explain, and hoped she wouldn't be asked.

Unasked, Lifeline set about maneuvering Billy up a bit so that he could untie the hospital gown, trying to be as gentle as he could as he did so. While the morphine drip had initially appeared to help the Marine's pain, it now appeared to be having less of an effect, with the medic noticing an increase in the flashes that crossed his lover's face or caused his body to twitch. Deftly undoing the ties on the back over the gown, Edwin pushed it down towards Billy's waist, exposing the Marine's upper chest and abdomen. Gently lowering the other man back down on the mattress, he reached and pulled the sheet up to Billy's waist.

Another burst of pain made the Marine's breath hitch, and his hands tightened into fists. The morphine was keeping the pain at a tolerable level, and he knew that if it hadn't been for the powerful medication, he'd be half out of his mind.

Trying to be unobtrusive as possible, Edwin slid his hand down to Billy's forearm, settling his palm on it and giving the too pale-looking flesh a slight squeeze. Due to the early arrival of the ultrasound equipment, coupled with the bustle to get it set up, the medic had not had the opportunity to mention Robby's phone call to the Marine yet. Rebecca glanced over at the two and spoke softly. "Bout ready?"

Edwin's hand slid away as he nodded. "Think so." The medic took a few steps away from the bed to give Rebecca some room. Giving the controls another quick visual check, the young woman took up the transducer probe and gave it a liberal coating of clear gel before moving to Billy's bedside and touching the device to the Marine's chest. Glancing at the display screen, she began to slowly move the probe over Billy's upper chest.

The probe shifted slowly over Billy's chest, and Rebecca let her emerald gaze shift between what she was doing and the monitor that both she and Edwin were watching. Billy made a slight face as the probe moved, the gel leaving a wet, slick trail that felt too much like the leeches from all those years ago. He remained silent, his eyes wandering toward the monitor. Edwin and Rebecca were telling him very little about just what was wrong with him, prompting the man to start trying to get some answers on his own.

Lifeline's eyes were intent on the monochrome display screen, his dark gaze trying to decipher just what he was seeing. The medic couldn't help but be struck by the almost absurd thought that, under a different set of circumstances, he could have been an expectant father looking at his future offspring instead of a man looking at a possible parasitic mutation that might be taking over the body of his clandestine male lover. As Edwin watched, something on the screen shifted, almost as if it moved of it own volition and he quickly glanced at Rebecca.

Rebecca's brows knitted slightly and she glanced down at Billy's chest, seeing the probe just over his sternum. She looked back up at the monitor, and slowly moved the probe toward the movement. She wondered briefly if they might simply be catching the motions of Billy's heart as it beat, until she realized she was moving in entirely the wrong direction for it.

As the pair watched the monitor, the image shifted once again, the movement coinciding with a fresh flash of pain that shot through Billy and made the Marine grit his teeth and clench is fists again. They took a few still images, and then Rebecca started the probe moving again, trying to see if there were any other anomalies. She was also trying to keep a sharp eye on Billy, ready to cease the exam if the pain started getting to be too much. Edwin's eyes constantly darted from the display monitor to Rebecca trying to judge the young woman's reaction to what they were seeing, but her face gave away nothing as she methodically moved the transducer probe over Billy, pausing only to add a bit more gel to the probe before continuing on.

As the examination continued, Billy kept his eyes riveted to the monitors. Edwin and Rebecca were saying nothing about what they were seeing, but the implications seemed pretty clear. There was definitely something there that shouldn't be. Rebecca took a couple more images from varying angles on the Marine's chest before removing the probe and setting it aside. Lifeline looked at the young woman anxiously, his dark eyes full of questions. Rebecca met Edwin's eyes and then looked back down at the printer that was busily turning out the stills she'd selected. Seeing that he would have to wait, at least until Rebecca had a chance to examine the prints, Lifeline turned his attention to Billy, looking down at his lover, the Marine's bare chest slick and glistening from the transducer gel. "To paraphrase _Ghostbusters_ , it looks like you've been slimed," he said, a small smile framing his lips.

Billy tore himself from his dark thoughts and looked up at Edwin with a faint smile. "I'd noticed that. Oh well, at least it wasn't leeches this time..."

The medic grimaced in distaste, having heard – in detail – about the infamous leeches that Billy and Rebecca had encountered while they had been trapped inside the Umbrella training facility.

"And it's not like it was that acid the Leech Queen kept trying to spit on you." Rebecca spoke up, picking up the prints as they finished and tucking them under one arm as she walked over.

"Can't argue."

"Lifeline and I need to go have a look at these, but we may need to take a few more pictures. So we can't clean you up just yet. Sorry."

Billy shot Rebecca a look and smirked. "You're just looking for an excuse to keep me bare-chested."

She sighed dramatically. "You found me out."

"I've been a bad influence. On both of you."

"Which isn't keeping you up at night racked with guilt, I'm sure." Lifeline tossed out in-between the friendly banter between the Marine and the former S.T.A.R.S member.

"Nope. The corruption is too much fun," Billy shot back.

Rebecca chuckled. "This shouldn't take too long," she said, before looking at Edwin and tilting her head toward the door.

"Hold tight," the medic said to Billy. "We'll be back in a little bit." Giving his lover a quick smile he headed towards the automatic door and pressed the button to open it, standing aside so that Rebecca could precede him.

Once they were back in the observation area and the door was shut tightly behind them, Rebecca slumped down into a chair and sighed. Dismissing the nurse who had been manning the monitoring console for a break, Edwin leaned against the corner of the desk, fastening his dark eyes on the young woman across from him. "It's the Genesis, isn't it?" His voice was soft, the words spoken almost tentatively.

"It's not a Nemesis parasite, no," Rebecca said, correcting the medic. "But it's definitely a parasite of some kind...and it's big..." She held out the prints for Edwin to peruse. "It's something extremely invasive, too."

Lifeline took the black and white images from Rebecca, his gaze intent as he looked at them slowly, a feeling of nausea growing in his stomach as he looked at each one, noting the abnormalities. Finishing the last of the images, the medic put his hand to his mouth as he remembered the momentary glance he had of something dark and wet, wriggling from where he had tried to insert the epidural catheter the day before in Billy's lower back. "Any thoughts?" Rebecca asked, noting Edwin's expressions.

"Plenty; and none of them good," Lifeline answered as he rubbed at his forehead with his fingertips. After a few moments, he set the pictures aside and once again looked at Rebecca. "How do we get rid of it?"

"That, I don't know. We saw...the beginnings of something like this in some of the other bodies that you sent to us, but nothing this developed."

Edwin pushed his glasses up and pressed his thumb and forefinger to the corners of his eyes for a several long moments before he wearily dropped his hand and turned towards the glass observation window, his impaired gaze unable to see Billy. "There has to be something...radiation . . ?"

"That might work. I'm not sure whether to treat this as a cancer or not...We're going to have to do an MRI on him, Lifeline. We need to know just how...big that thing may have gotten." Rebecca looked down at her hands. "Because if...my theory is right..."

"What?" The medic asked, his dark eyes turning towards Rebecca and fastening on her slim form. "What theory?"

"I think that...thing, whatever it is...may be the cause of Billy's bruises, the pain...all of it."

Edwin was silent for a few minutes. "I don't know if he can handle an MRI, not after what happened the first time around. Maybe with a wide-open one but ...that would mean having to transport him somewhere." The medic's glasses slipped back down on his face.

"At this point, if we have to put him under a full-blown anesthetic, that's just what we're going to have to do." Rebecca shook her head. "I don't wanna do this to him, but we don't have any other choice...And until we know precisely what we're dealing with, we're going to have to treat him like he's contagious."

Lifeline fell silent once again, his eyes going to the stills on the desk next to him. "What about...a scope?" he asked tentatively, looking at Rebecca.

"A scope?" Rebecca tilted her head to the side as she considered it.

The medic nodded. "Yes... a camera." Edwin gave her a small momentary smile, and turned back towards the observation glass. "Maybe we can try a biopsy at the same time." The dark-haired man turned back towards the young woman. "Up until now, all we've had to work from is a blood sample. I think it would be good if we could get an actual tissue sample from it."

Rebecca nodded. "You're probably right. We've got a pretty extensive database on the Umbrella bio-weapons back at the CDC. If we can get a sample of the actual parasite, they can probably tell us more."

"We have the equipment here, but...well it's not something I've ever had to do." Edwin admitted quietly.

"Do you have any technicians who have? Someone who wouldn't completely lose it during the procedure?"

"I don't know," the medic responded. "I can check the personnel files." Lifeline's dark eyes focused on Rebecca. "I was kind of hoping that you could do it though. Duke wants to keep this as quiet as possible for as long as we can."

There was silence from the young woman for several long moments before she looked up at Edwin and nodded. "Then that's how we'll do it."

Edwin pushed away from the desk. "Just let me know when and I'll get it arranged."

"How about first thing tomorrow morning? He'll be less agitated then, and I'll have a chance to get some halfway decent sleep first."

The medic nodded his head. "In the morning then." Lifeline's eyes went back to the observation glass, his dark gaze falling on Billy's bed.

Rebecca stood up slowly, and walked over to stand near Edwin, reaching to lay a hand on his shoulder. "We're going to find a way to help him..." she said softly. "We just need more information."

Edwin nodded his head slowly, his eyes on the man on the other side of the glass.

* * *

He could feel it moving within him, stirring. He wasn't even sure what it was. A parasite? He was fairly certain that was what Rebecca called it. Or had that been Edwin? He wasn't sure. But Billy was certain the presence wasn't a parasite. After all, if it was a true parasite, wouldn't it have killed him by now?

 Billy couldn't exactly communicate with it, but on some level, they understood one another. It was through this strange link that he began to understand the parasite, or whatever it was. In its own way, it explained to the Marine just how thoroughly they were intertwined. The information made him uncomfortably aware of pulses and subtle movements separate from that of his own body.

The realization made his stomach lurch. He held up his hand, studying it intently. He wasn't entirely sure what he was looking for. Some outward manifestation of the other presence perhaps? If so, he was disappointed. There were none that he could see. His skin was starting to turn pale from the lack of sunlight, and his palm was as rough and calloused as it ever was. There were bruises there, faint ones along the back of his hand. He didn't remember them being there before, but that didn't mean anything anymore. The pain medication Edwin and Rebecca had been giving him kept him from being able to track time reliably.

Billy nearly managed to convince himself that it was the medication that was making his imagination work overtime when his hand slowly clenched into a tight fist. That, in and of itself wasn't surprising, merely somewhat painful. It was the fact that his hand had done so involuntarily that scared the shit out of him.

He tried to unclench the fist, almost frantic in his need to assure himself that the whole thing was just the result of his imagination running wild on him. The hand remained stubbornly closed, almost mocking him as panic began to gain a more firm hold foothold on his consciousness. Billy lay still, staring at his hand as if it belonged to someone else. It may as well have, he decided, as the hand flowered open slowly. Each finger uncurled with the deliberate slowness of an interpretive dancer, the motion indicating complete control over every nuance of movement. Billy watched with a mix of fascination and horror as the hand turned this way and that, showing itself off, before lowering itself to lay back on the bed again.

Billy hardly dared to breathe as he lay there, hyper-aware of his body. He could feel his heart thundering in his chest, hear the ragged pants that he realized were his own breaths. He was acutely aware of a drop of sweat as it slid from his hair and ran down his face, tracing a scar here, or a worry-line there. He was completely drenched, the sheet sticking to him like a second skin, but shivering as if it were the dead of winter. He couldn't help it; the message of that little display was chillingly clear.

Whatever was inside of him, it was taking over.

It was beginning to manipulate him like a marionette.

And worse of all, no one would know.

Fighting down the urge to be sick, Billy forced himself to calm down. The presence, whatever it was, was starting to take over, or had already taken over his body. But it didn't seem to be affecting his mind yet. That meant he still had time. He made a vow to himself to get some answers concerning his condition in the morning, whatever it took. In the meantime, he just had to get some rest.

It was a long time before he slept.


	4. Chapter Four

Chapter Four

 

Before being swept up into the CDC, Rebecca Chambers had been a medic. In spite of that, however, she had seen precious little time in the field. She was a doctor now, and although she had, over the course of her training, performed more than a few operations, no incision ever rattled her so much as the tiny one she was preparing to make into Billy's abdomen, just below his sternum. She had no idea just how Billy, not to mention the parasite within him, would respond to even that small wound. She hoped the local anesthetic she had applied would be enough to keep the parasite from noticing, Lifeline's story of the epidural catheter still fresh in her mind.

Lifeline stood next to Rebecca, acting as her assistant during the procedure. After their discussion the night before, the medic had made the necessary arrangements for the needed equipment and instruments, with everything arriving at the containment lab within half an hour of his call. Afterwards, he had gone in to see the Marine, Edwin once again donning latex gloves and a surgical mask before he did so – a change that had not gone unnoticed by Billy. Evading the other man's questions as best he could, Lifeline had cleaned away the gel from the ultrasound and helped Billy into a fresh hospital gown before pulling up the extra chair next to the Marine's bed and sitting with him quietly. It was well past three o'clock in the morning when the medic had finally succumbed to sleep, slumping down in the armchair next to his lover's bedside.

Rebecca took a slow breath to steady herself as she looked over at Edwin, then up at Billy. Aside from the local anesthetic, they had also given him a heavy dose of tranquilizers. There was, admittedly, some concern about the effects of so many drugs in Billy's system. Taking a cue from the failed MRI attempt, however, they were small concerns. It seemed like the parasite was acting as an additional filter, allowing his body to metabolize the drugs and pain-killers quickly, rendering them temporary at best, and useless at worst.

With that in mind, the woman shook herself firmly from her thoughts and settled down to make the incision.

Edwin's eyes flicked between Rebecca and the vitals monitor that Billy was still hooked up to, the Marine's pulse and heartbeat steady and strong, despite the amount of sedatives that he had been given. As the scalpel in Rebecca's hand pierced Billy's skin, there was a slight jump in the Marine's heartbeat that lasted for a few beats before returning to normal.

In the outer chamber of the lab, Marcel Hancock had been given the task of manning the main console, the young man's eyes intent on the monitors as well, Billy's vitals being recorded for reference, Lifeline having briefed him on his CO's condition while they had been setting up the equipment.

Rebecca didn't look up, trusting Lifeline to alert her if something started going terribly wrong. It amazed her, in some small part of her mind, that an incision of so small a size would make her so nervous, and she wondered briefly if it would be the same if the person under her were anyone other than Billy. The fleeting thought passed away quickly and she set to work making the incision, slicing through skin and muscle, making a pathway for the scope. Turning to the small cloth covered table on his other side, Edwin picked up the scope, the flexible fiber optic instrument light in his gloved hands, ready to hand it to Rebecca whenever she was ready.

Wordlessly, Rebecca held out her hand once the wound was opened and the initial welling of blood cleaned away. The scope was set in her palm, and she closed her hand around it gently. As she worked the scope into the wound, her touch was gentle but firm, her eyes intense with concentration. If Edwin had been able to see her whole face, he would have seen her biting her lower lip, nearly hard enough to make it bleed. Once again, there was a slight jump in Billy's heartbeat as the scope was inserted, this one taking a few beats longer to settle then before. Lifeline's dark eyes flicked between watching the monitor and Rebecca, who turned to Edwin and offered a thumbs up, a silent signal everything was ready. The medic let out a breath he didn't realize he had been holding. Reaching over, he dabbed at the slight sheen of perspiration on Rebecca's brow with a folded piece of gauze before turning towards the screen for the camera and beginning to adjust the focus and angle.

Rebecca's eyes raised to look at the screen, gently adjusting the scope as the picture sharpened into focus. When it did, she gasped softly, unaware the sound had escaped her. Nestled between the Marine's lungs, under his heart, was a large cancerous-looking growth. The growth was a shapeless blob, about the size of a newborn kitten. Extending from it were several thick cords of tissue that stretched out, wrapping in an almost intimate caress around Billy's internal organs. From each of the larger cords, a network of smaller ones splayed out, the tiniest of them burrowing into the surface of Billy's lungs, his heart, and even lower, until they were lost from the simple view of the scope. The growth was pulsing regularly, the rhythm in tandem with Billy's own heart.

"Good god," Lifeline felt something roil in the pit of his stomach as he looked at the screen, getting his first good look at the parasite. Squeezing his dark eyes shut for a moment, he took a deep breath and swallowed it down before turning to look at Rebecca, his face pale beneath the surgical mask. Her own green eyes were wide as she stared at the monitor, a shiver shooting through her. She brought a gloved hand to cover her mouth, only vaguely aware of the surgical mask between her and it.

Forcing himself to look back at the screen, Edwin once again felt his stomach recoil as he looked at the pulsing mass that had lodged itself in his lover's chest cavity. As the two of them watched, one of the smaller tentacle-like cords moved, slithering its way towards the camera until the picture was obscured as it came in contact with the scope.

Rebecca nearly jumped out of her seat at that, and shook her head. "My god..." she whispered. In spite of having seen similar growths in the bodies she had been sent before, to see the mass moving, perhaps even breathing, and very much alive inside Billy was just too much. She lowered one hand to try and start moving the scope slightly to clear the obstruction, she gasped as she felt it move on its own.

"It's – It's almost like it's sentient," Lifeline whispered, also unnerved by the action.

"It may be semi-sentient..." Rebecca replied softly. "The Nemesis was...at least until it took over its host..." the last words were spoken barely over a whisper. Edwin's dark eyes flicked from the screen to Rebecca, the medic just barely having caught the young woman's words and he felt the bile rise in his throat at the implication. "But it's...networked in there pretty thoroughly. I think it's safe to say removal isn't going to be an option ..." Rebecca's voice was still soft.

"Then what is?"

"I don't know. We're just going to have to try to get a sample of the parasite, and go from there," she said honestly. The medic nodded his head and turned back to the table to ready everything for the sample.

It took some doing, since Rebecca was working with such a limited view, but as she moved the scope closer to the creature, wanting to get a sample as close to the core as possible, the world seemed to explode around her. Billy jerked away from her touch, seemingly wide awake. Rebecca jumped back in surprise; although the parasite had been helping to metabolize the drugs so far, Billy had never recovered so quickly. She didn't have time to ponder on it, however, as the Marine sat up, his expression confused before he doubled over in pain again. The skin along his back, pulled tight, was a dark and ugly purple, and growing darker by the moment. Edwin snapped back around, his dark eyes widening in surprise. "Rebecca!" Moving forward, he started to reach out to the Marine. "Billy!"

"Lifeline, wait!" Rebecca cried out, reaching out and grabbing a hold of the medic's arm. As she spoke, there was a soft wet tearing sound, and Billy howled in pain as something burst from the Marine's back. A mass of tentacles stretched out, feeling blindly, dripping with the Marine's blood as they flailed.

"Jesus Christ!" Lifeline exclaimed, his hand going to his mouth, his dark eyes wide with shock as he looked at the writhing mass. Sprinkles of dark crimson spotted the pale blue medical scrubs that he and Rebecca were wearing as the tentacles continued to thrash. Instinctively, Edwin moved in front of Rebecca, his first reaction to protect the civilian.

Billy, or at least the creature within him, turned toward them. The tentacles slowed their flailing as Edwin stepped in front of Rebecca, instead lashing out at the equipment beeping steadily nearby, as Billy slid slowly to the floor. "B-Billy," Rebecca murmured, trying to move toward the Marine, only to be halted in her tracks by a tentacle lashing out at her face. She shrank back a step on reflex.

"Stay back!" Edwin warned as he reached out to the young woman and pulled her back before positioning himself in front of her. Once again the writhing tentacles seemed to draw back from the medic although they continued to flail and snap in the air around Billy's prone body.

"Lifeline! Doctor Chambers!" Hancock's voice sounded over the intercom, the young medic on his feet in front of the bank of consoles on the other side of the protective glass.

Panting harshly, Billy slowly began to rise. First to his knees, then to his feet, the Marine moved like a puppet handled by an inexperienced puppeteer, his movements short and jerky. He looked toward them, before looking toward the door of the containment lab. "We can't let him get out of here," Edwin said as he moved away from Rebecca, edging around the room towards the door, moving parallel to Billy.

Rebecca only hesitated a moment, before following Edwin. "We have to lock the lab down. Can we do that in here, or do we have to be outside?" she asked hurriedly, ducking as another tentacle lashed out toward her, speckling her shoulder and the side of her neck with blood. Billy, meanwhile, continued staggering toward the door.

"Only from the outer chamber," Lifeline answered before jumping back a few steps as another glistening whip-like cord lashed out at his feet.

"We'd better get moving, then," Rebecca hissed. Billy seemed to sense that they were trying to leave, and the tentacles lashed out again, trying to block the two retreating medics.

"Rebecca!" Edwin unceremoniously nudged the young woman out of the way of the snapping tentacles, just barely managing to keep himself from being hit in the process. Rebecca flailed as they reached the door, Edwin's nudge throwing her off-balance. She fell against the light switch, the dimmer shifting, and lowering the light level considerably. "Get out of here while you can!" Lifeline yelled over his shoulder to Rebecca as he stood in front of her, facing Billy's shuffling form, the dark cords whipping and snapping in the air around the Marine.

"What about you?" Rebecca cried back. Billy's gaze turned toward Rebecca, the blue eyes alien as they caught the light, reflecting it like a cat's would.

Glancing momentarily over his shoulder, his eyes were intent as he looked at Rebecca. "We _can't_ let him get out of here," he stated, his tone resolute. "I'll keep him distracted while you open the door and slip out. Now go!"

Rebecca looked at Edwin a moment then shook her head. "You're right, we can't let him out." She slapped the button to the intercom that would let her communicate with Hancock, who was manning the console outside. "Hancock! Lock down the lab!"

"B-but, Ma'am—"

"Now!"

Hancock's eyes darted from Rebecca, to Lifeline, to Billy and back again, before he gave a small nod as he punched the emergency lock down. There was a loud clank as the door locks snapped into place, and the metal shutter rolled down, giving Hancock just a last brief look at the others before they were obscured from his view.

Billy's unsteady steps slowed as Edwin turned toward him, his head tilting to the side a bit at the noise that he only dimly understood in his current state. Lifeline heard the locks snapping into place. He understood why Rebecca hadn't run; even with Edwin himself acting as a human shield, there was still a chance Billy might overpower him, and use her escape as a chance to make his own. So, with the young doctor locked in the lab with him, Lifeline made that his cue to try and draw the parasite's attention to himself, and if he was lucky, calm Billy down. Taking a few steps forward, he put his hands up, palms out as he called to the Marine. "Billy?" The medic's voice was soft, the tone even despite the rising sense of panic he felt now that he was alone with the parasite. As he continued to call the other man's name, Edwin silently prayed that there was still enough of his lover in that shuffling body to recognize him and respond.

Billy froze completely, the tentacles lowering slowly. "E-Edwin..." The Marine choked the words out through his lips, feeling his knees starting to buckle.

Lifeline couldn't help his eyes welling up a bit as he heard his name fall from the other man's lips. "I'm right here," he said as he took a few more slow steps forward. "It's okay...it'll be okay..." the medic's voice was choked with emotion.

Billy took a single step toward Lifeline, before collapsing to the ground with a soft sound, the tentacles starting to pull back toward the Marine again, coiling until they were nestled into gaping wound in the small of his back. "Billy!" Even as he called out the Marine's name, the medic couldn't seem to get his feet to move forward. Blinking back unshed tears, he stared at the dark slick wound in Billy's back for several long moments before he found the power to move once again. Stumbling forward, he rushed to the other man, falling to his knees when he reached Billy.

Billy looked up at the medic, his own expression dazed and frightened as the wound slowly started to seal over. "E-Edwin..."

His emotions overtaking him, Lifeline could no longer stop the tears as they spilled from his dark eyes. Sliding his arms around Billy he pulled the Marine to him, hugging the other brunette to his chest as he cried in earnest. A shudder ran through Billy as he reached out, his arms wrapping around Edwin's waist and he curled up like a terrified child, clinging to the medic. "I-I didn't...hurt you...did I?" he whispered.

Rebecca watched the two men silently, glad she'd had the foresight to turn the intercom back off again. The danger, such as it had been, seemed to have passed, and she suddenly felt like an intruder, a voyeur watching interaction that was never meant for her eyes.

"No," Edwin whispered back after a few moments, the medic managing to rein in his tears a bit. Oblivious to everything but Billy, Lifeline's hand strayed up into the Marine's dark hair, combing through the blood spotted strands at the back of Billy's head.

The familiar touch calmed Billy even further and he tensed a little as the wound finished healing. "What...what just happened? I...Edwin..." Billy floundered, unable to gather his thoughts, the sheer reality of the attack he'd been the cause of too surreal.

"Shhh...it's okay. It – it wasn't -- it wasn't you," the words were choked out as a fresh round of tears welled in Lifeline's eyes, a vision of Billy's shuffling form, surrounded by flailing dripping tentacles finding its way into his mind once again. Squeezing his dark eyes closed, he tried as hard as he could to push it away.

"What...do I have? What...what is this thing?" Billy whispered.

The medic felt something in his chest clench, his arm tightening around the other man. It was several moments before Edwin could bring himself to speak. "It's . . ." he started, only to have his nerve falter. _Forgive me, but I can't do it..._

Billy looked up at the medic, sitting up a little, but not loosening his hold on the medic. "Edwin, please...something is happening to me...I-I'm turning into one of...one of them, aren't I?"

Lifeline met Billy's blue eyes with his own tear-filled gaze. Slipping his bloodied, gloved hand from the Marine's hair, Edwin touched it to the side of the other brunette's face and shook his head. "No...I – I won't let you..." he stuttered out. "I won't let it have you."

That reply, however cryptic, seemed clear enough to Billy, who swallowed hard and tilted his face into Edwin's touch. "God..."

The medic's hand slid away after a moment and he pulled the Marine to him once again, his arm sliding around Billy's waist gently as he held the other man close.

After a moment, Billy wrapped his arms around Edwin again, closing his eyes as he felt his stomach start flip-flopping. Rebecca continued to watch them silently for a time. There were a lot of things about Billy Coen she knew, and plenty of things about him that she didn't. But watching him with Edwin, she realized there was a lot more to the Marine than she'd originally thought.

The two men stayed like that for some time, wrapped in each other's arms silently, clinging almost desperately to one another. Eventually, it was Lifeline who broke the silence, lifting his head a little. "D-Doctor Chambers?" the medic called softly, his voice a little hoarse.

"Yeah?" Rebecca replied, startled from her thoughts.

"If you could tell Hancock to unseal the lab, and send a crew to clean up down here ..." Despite being emotionally drained, Edwin's tone was relatively calm. "Tell him to ask for Lieutenant Sorenson, she'll take care of it."

Rebecca nodded, and hit the intercom button again, relaying Lifeline's message. Once she had, there was a moment of silence before Hancock's voice crackled back through the speaker. "Of course. Are you two all right in there?"

Lifeline nodded slightly and glanced down at Billy's dark head. Rebecca looked from the two men and replied into the speaker. "I think he's asleep."

* * *

As he stepped into the infirmary, Lifeline became instantly aware of the silence that fell over the main room at his appearance. In the wake of what had happened in the containment lab, rumors had begun to fly regarding Billy Coen and the blood splattered lab. Only Lifeline, Rebecca Chambers, Marcel Hancock, Billy and Duke knew just what had actually happened, with the Joe commander rushing down to interrogate Edwin and Rebecca about the incident before they had even had a chance to get cleaned up. The big blonde man had looked decidedly unhappy, ordering that the Marine be kept under a strict quarantine with round-the-clock security.

After seeing that the lab had been cleaned up and the smashed equipment carted away, Edwin had personally seen to getting Billy washed up and put into a fresh bed. Before doing so however, he had inspected the Marine's back, finding no trace of the wound caused by the tentacles – not even a faint scar. As he looked at the too-pale flesh, he couldn't help but smile a bit, noting that Billy's latest tattoo was still intact and seemingly untouched.

He stayed with Billy for a short time, his dark eyes on his lover's pale face, until once again, the vision of Billy's blood-spattered body, the whip-like tentacles snapping around it, filled his mind and he hurriedly left the lab. His fists clenched tightly in the pockets of his lab coat, the medic had taken the elevator up to the infirmary seeking out the solace of his small private office.

As he moved through the main reception area, Lifeline kept his eyes on the floor in front of him, ignoring the other staff around him. As he passed Sorenson's desk, the blonde woman tried to hail him, only to be waved off. "Not right now, Lieutenant." was the curt reply she received as the medic continued on down the hall.

Pushing open the door, Lifeline stepped inside and closed it firmly behind him before locking it – something he almost never did. Leaning back against the wooden door, the medic closed his eyes and let out a shuddering breath. He stayed like that for several long moments before raising his hand and pushing up his glasses to rub at his eyes with his finger tips, the dark lashes crusted with dried tears.

It was some time before Lifeline found the energy to push himself away from the door, moving to sit down in the chair behind his desk. Reaching down, he opened the bottom drawer of his desk and drew out a bottle of brandy and a shot glass. Back when he had been in paramedic school, one of the instructors had mentioned how he always kept a bottle of brandy on hand, calling it the best medicine for shock and bad news ever invented. Since then, Edwin had always kept a bottle close by, although he rarely had ever used it, and certainly never for himself – at least until now. Opening the bottle, he poured out a couple of fingers worth, his hand shaking slightly despite his best efforts. Replacing the lid on the bottle, he picked up the glass and looked at it for a moment before putting it to his lips and tilting his head back.

The medic couldn't help coughing a bit as the liquor burned down his throat and hit his stomach, which had never quite settled down from earlier. Setting the glass back down, Edwin then buried his head in his arms on the top of the desk.

* * *

Rebecca returned to her own room to change, taking her time as she stripped away the blood-splattered scrubs and dug out clean clothes. She was still trying to let herself process everything that had happened, from Billy's attack, to what she'd witnessed with the two men before Duke arrived. Although she hadn't had much reason to fight the strict quarantine, she couldn't help but worry about Billy's mental state. Considering how quickly Lifeline disappeared after things were set to rights, she couldn't help but worry about him as well. Sighing heavily, she gave into her own need for tears, sitting on her bed and crying for a long time before she cleaned herself up, dressed, and headed for the infirmary.

* * *

Rebecca entered the infirmary, noticing quickly that there was a tension in the air that didn't seem quite right. She shook her head and ran a hand through her hair and sighed softly.

Glancing up from some paperwork, Lydia Sorenson noticed Rebecca. Rising from her desk, the blonde nurse made her way over to the other woman. "Can I help you Doctor Chambers?"

"I need to speak with Lifeline."

"I think he's in his office," Sorenson started. "But...well I'm not sure that he wants to be disturbed right now."

"In his place, Lieutenant, I wouldn't blame him. But this is important." Rebecca gave Sorenson a smile. "Thank you." She said and walked off toward the medic's office. When Rebecca reached the door to Edwin's office, she tried the knob, and wasn't entirely surprised to find it locked. Reaching up, she rapped gently. "Lifeline? It's Rebecca."

Edwin had removed his glasses and was now sitting with his elbow propped on the desk top, his forehead pressed to the palm of his hand, while beads of moisture dotted the upper lashes of his closed eyes. The medic lifted his head and brushed at his nose with the back of his hand as he sniffed several times. "Just...Just a moment," Lifeline called out before squeezing his eyes shut for a moment as he took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. Picking up his glasses, he resettled the wire frames on his face and rose from his chair. As he reached for the door knob, Edwin took another deep breath before unlocking it. Turning the knob, he opened the door.

Lifeline found himself face to face with Rebecca, who wasn't looking a whole lot better than he was. "I'm sorry to bother you...may I come in?" she asked softly.

"Of course," the medic replied as he stepped aside to allow the young woman to enter. Rebecca stepped into the office, walked past Edwin, and sank wearily into the chair across from his desk. Edwin resumed his seat once Rebecca was settled, the two of them sitting silently across from one another for several long minutes before the medic spoke. "Are you alright?" he inquired softly.

"Are you?"

Lifeline dropped his eyes, his dark gaze going to his hands which were clasped in his lap. Rebecca felt her heart lurch, and her tone was quiet when she spoke again. "Can I...ask you kind of a personal question?" She watched as Edwin squeezed his eyes closed, certain that he knew what was coming. Rebecca did her best not to fidget in the suddenly tense silence. "Just...how close a-are you and Billy?" she asked softly.

After a few moments, Edwin responded, his voice just barely above a whisper. "Have ...Have you ever head the phrase, 'don't ask...don't tell'?" As he spoke, the dark-haired man looked up at Rebecca, who nodded a little; she had been half expecting to hear something like that, and now that she had, she wasn't sure what to say. So she settled for nothing. "That close," the medic said softly before dropping his eyes once again.

"H-how long?" The words were surprisingly even as they fell from the young woman's lips.

"A little over a year," was the reply.

"Wow..."

Lifeline's chocolate brown gaze lifted up towards Rebecca. "Shocked?"

The young woman dropped her eyes, suddenly shy. "A little. I...would never have guessed."

"That makes three of us," the medic said, his tone sounding a bit sharper than he had intended.

Rebecca flinched at the tone. "I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to offend you..."

Edwin sighed wearily and shook his dark head. "No, I'm sorry. I...didn't mean for it to sound like that."

"I guess we're both a little wound up still," Rebecca offered quietly. Lifeline nodded his head, his gaze sliding away from the young woman once again. Silence stretched between them once more, and again, it was the young woman that broke it. "Have you...tested yourself? Just in case?"

"A blood test. After I first found..." Edwin responded at length, his gaze focused on his lap. "It was clean."

Rebecca nodded. "I think...just to be safe...I'd like to test you again. With your permission, of course."

Lifeline slowly nodded his head, "Of course."

"I want you to test me, too." The young woman offered Lifeline a faint smile. "It'll make things look a little less suspicious that way..." Edwin looked up at Rebecca, regarding her for a few moments before nodding his head in agreement.

Rebecca nodded as well and slumped in her chair again. The pair fell into silence once again. In the stillness, Lifeline's gaze found its way to a framed five by seven photograph on his desk, a picture of he and Billy taken at Lake Havasu months earlier. The two of them all smiles as they each held up a string of good-sized trout, the Marine even mugging a bit for the camera. The medic swallowed, feeling the itch of tears behind his dark eyes. "It's too late, isn't it?"

Shaking her head, the young woman rose, and circled around to stand beside Edwin, letting her own emerald gaze shift to the picture. "I don't know, Lifeline. I really wish I did...I've never seen a case like this before, except with the Nemesis, and this just isn't acting like that."

Lifeline's gaze continued to linger on the picture, his eyes focusing on the blue-eyed man who had become such an important part of his life during the past year. "He needs to know," he said after a few moments.

Rebecca laid a hand on Lifeline's shoulder gently. "Did you want to tell him, or should I?" She asked softly.

"I don't know if I can." The medic swallowed. "I tried but...I couldn't...I couldn't do it."

"I will, then, if you want." The words came from Rebecca easily, although she wasn't entirely sure she would be able to tell Billy, either.

Edwin was tempted, but after a few moments, he shook his dark head. "It should be me."

There was another silence, and then, "Would it help if I was there?"

The medic turned his head a bit and looked up at the young woman. "I'd appreciate it," he said quietly as he reached up and briefly covered Rebecca's hand with his.

"It's no trouble." Rebecca replied. "He's going to need a lot of support."

Lifeline's hand slid away as he turned from Rebecca once again with a slight nod of his dark head.

As Edwin's hand slid away from hers, Rebecca let her arm encircle his broad shoulders in a reassuring hug. "We're not going to give up on him," she said softly. "We're going to beat this thing."

Reaching up across his chest, the medic covered the young woman's hand, giving it a gentle squeeze.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story was written before the repeal of "Don't ask, don't tell" by the U.S. military, which necessitated that Lifeline and Devil Dog keep their relationship hidden, thus Edwin's response to Rebecca's question about his closeness to Billy.


	5. Chapter Five

Chapter Five

 

Shuffling the papers on his desk, Duke reached for a nearby manila folder to put them in. Setting the folder aside, the big blonde let out an uncharacteristic yawn as he rolled his broad shoulders before stretching his neck from side to side, hearing a couple of small satisfying pops. Returning to his office after being summoned to the containment lab the day before, Duke had immediately put in a call to General Hawk, the Joe team's commanding officer, to apprise him of the current situation.

The two men had talked for well over an hour, discussing Devil Dog and the possible threat he posed to The Pit and its personnel. Hawk had requested a written report from his subordinate, and as soon as their telephone conversation had ended, Duke had immediately started on it. The blue-eyed blonde had been sure to include his interviews with Lifeline and Rebecca Chambers regarding the incident; as well as his own thoughts and recommendations for keeping The Pit safe.

As Rebecca Chambers stopped in front of Duke's door, she heaved a soft sigh and smoothed her rumpled clothing down as well as she could. She was tired. Bone-tired, in fact. She would rather have been curled up in a bed, trying to sleep, but Edwin's remark about Duke wanting to send Billy away to god only knew where, as well as being rattled from the attack itself, guaranteed she saw no rest. Not the night before, and certainly not now. She had nearly worked herself into a panic over the whole situation. She couldn't allow Billy to be sent away.

Glancing out the window, Duke found himself once again thinking on what Lifeline and Doctor Chambers had told him about Billy Coen's present condition and the symbiotic parasite that had apparently integrated itself into his body. Despite Lifeline's later protest that Devil Dog should remain where he was, the hard-eyed blonde had entertained other thoughts. Duke had arrived at the containment lab in time to see the blood splattered walls and smashed equipment. He had also picked up on the shell-shocked expressions that both Lifeline and Rebecca Chambers had been wearing, as they related their individual stories as to what happened. The pair had also filled the Joe commander in on what they suspected regarding Devil Dog. The two had, however, been unable to give Duke any concrete solutions as to how to deal with the parasite – something that the blonde man had not been happy to hear.

Rebecca blew a wisp of hair out of her eyes and steeled her nerves. She was far from at her best, but she was determined as she reached up and knocked firmly on Duke's door. Duke turned his icy blue gaze away from the window and towards the door at the knock. It was still early in the morning, his Green Shirt secretary having not arrived yet to screen his calls and visitors. Glancing down to make sure that all the sensitive information he had been perusing earlier had been put away, the big blonde called out, instructing whoever it was to enter. Rebecca took a few moments to compose herself before stepping into Duke's office. The blue eyed man's expression was neutral as he saw the young woman framed in the doorway. "Doctor Chambers," he said, rising to his feet.

Rebecca gave the imposing blonde a faint smile and stood a little straighter. She couldn't help the odd, blessedly brief sensation that Duke reminded her just a little of Albert Wesker, the leader of her old S.T.A.R.S. unit. Shoving that thought aside viciously, she spoke. "I'm sorry to bother you so early in the morning, Duke."

"We're early risers around here, Doctor," the field commander said as he indicated the chair opposite his desk with his hand. "Please, have a seat."

"Thank you." Rebecca walked over to the chair, and sank down, perching on the edge of it. "I was informed there have been . . . considerations made as to whether or not Lieutenant Coen would remain here."

Duke resumed his seat once Rebecca settled. "That decision is General Hawk's," the blue-eyed man said. "He's the Joe's commanding officer. I have given him my thoughts and recommendations on the matter however."

"If I may ask, Sir, just what you've recommended? I realize this is a military matter, but the lieutenant is still my patient."

The blonde regarded the young woman across from him for a moment or two before answering. "That he's a possible threat to the security of this base."

_Here we go,_ Rebecca thought. "If I may...I honestly don't think moving him would be a good idea. At all."

"I appreciate what you've done so far Doctor, but the safety of this base and its personnel is first and foremost. I've already heard Lifeline's opinion; and while I value his advice as a medical professional, you and I both know that he isn't completely unbiased where Devil Dog is concerned."

"I'm aware of that, yes. And I'll admit, I'm not entirely unbiased either, but for an entirely different reason." Rebecca forced her voice to remain even as she spoke. "After what he's been through, I don't believe loading him into a military transport and taking him anywhere is safe. Were he to have another flashback, or get agitated enough to trigger that parasite again..."

"I saw that lab, Doctor Chambers. For whatever reason, the two of you were very lucky. But who's to say that the next time that luck won't run out?"

"And who's to say a group of MPs in a van would have any better luck if that parasite goes active? At least here, I know he's safe, and well away from the nearest town." Rebecca's tone hardened. "You know as well as I do that it would be a safety hazard to send him anywhere."

"And it's not a safety hazard to every man and woman in this installation to keep him here?" Duke retorted curtly. The blonde man paused for a moment, his icy gaze softening just a fraction. "This alliance between Cobra and the Umbrella Corporation has caught us _all_ off guard. This is a new kind of warfare, Doctor, one that we're woefully under-prepared for. Believe it or not, I can sympathize with you. I respect the Lieutenant for what he went through, and for the work he's done as a member of the Joe's, but he's only one man versus an installation of hundreds. My first duty is to this base."

"Your first duty is to the safety of the _civilians_ , Duke!" Rebecca said. "Even aside from my personal feelings about Billy, I've _seen_ what that virus can do! An entire god damned city was obliterated off the face of the earth!" She was on her feet now, with no recollection of having risen. "I can't...no, I _won't_ watch it happen again!"

Non-plussed, Duke looked at the young woman. "As I said, I do understand how you feel, Doctor Chambers. But the final decision is out of my hands." The blue-eyed man indicated Rebecca's vacated chair with his hand, motioning for her to resume her seat. "And despite my feelings on the matter, the general has ordered that Devil Dog remain here for the time being, under quarantine with twenty-four monitoring and posted security."

Rebecca only resumed her seat long enough to allow Duke to finish his summary of the matter, before rising and giving the blonde a curt nod. "I see. Then if you'll excuse me, Sir," she said, in a tone that would have bordered on silent insubordination if she'd been a Joe, "I have a patient I need to see to." Without waiting for an acknowledgment or a dismissal, she walked briskly out of his office.

* * *

Adjusting the surgical mask a bit, Lifeline glanced through the observation glass at Billy's bed. The medic had remained in his office for some time after Rebecca's departure. Taking the photo of he and Billy in his hand, he had sat there silently, staring at it, hoping that the happier memories from the time it had been taken could banish the darker ones that seemed to have settled in his mind.

Wandering through the quiet corridors, the medic had unsurprisingly found himself outside the containment lab. Slipping inside, he nodded at the nurse who was manning the console, his appearance having apparently startled her. Standing in front of the thick glass, he fastened his chocolate brown gaze on the bed on the other side. How long he stood there like that, he didn't know. It took the nurse's shift change to pull him from wherever he had gone, only to find out that it was past midnight. Giving his lover one last glance, the medic had departed silently. Making his way back to the infirmary, Edwin had sought out the staff lounge, settling down on the beat up old sofa against the wall for a restless and nearly sleepless night.

Edwin had been gently awakened by Lydia Sorenson, the blonde nurse having shaken the medic awake shortly after arriving for the morning shift. Without a word, she had passed a cup of coffee from one of the mess hall vending machines into his hand before taking her leave.

After making his way back down to the containment lab, Edwin had waited impatiently for Rebecca, glancing down at his watch every few moments to check the time. After fifteen minutes or so, the medic had used the phone in the outer lab to try to contact the CDC representative in the guest quarters, but to no avail. After waiting for several more minutes, Edwin had let out a weary sound before reaching for a pair of gloves and a surgical mask. Stepping inside the Marine's makeshift room, Edwin softly made his way over to Billy's bedside, trying to be as quiet as possible in case the Marine was sleeping.

He wasn't.

Billy Coen was lying flat on his back, his head pillowed on one arm, the other thrown carelessly across his middle. At the sound of the door opening, he let his gaze flick over to Edwin, just long enough to register the scrubs and surgical mask, before letting his gaze drop away again as he saw the familiar glasses that marked this set of scrubs as belonging to someone other than the usual chain of nurses.

As he approached Billy's sickbed, Edwin wasn't particularly surprised to see the Marine awake. The chronic pain that Billy had been experiencing had been making it almost impossible for the man to sleep. "Morning," the medic said as he reached Billy's bedside

"Is it?" Was the soft, weary response; so little changed down there, in the lab, that it was often difficult to tell the passing of time.

"I see that winning morning personality is back." Edwin replied as he looked down at Billy's prone form.

"You know me, Doc...bright eyed and bushy-tailed," came Billy's reply, devoid of the usual cocky smile that tended to accompany his less serious remarks. The Marine sat up slowly as Edwin stopped beside the bed.

"You probably shouldn't be moving around." Lifeline said, even as he instinctively reached to assist the Marine.

"Don't worry, I know better than to get out of bed," Billy replied as he got his weight shifted a little better.

Edwin's latex covered hand briefly brushed over the other brunette's; the medic had dismissed the nurse that had been on duty monitoring the Marine before entering the inner chamber of the lab. The feel of that latex running over his skin only doubly reinforced Billy's current feeling of alienation, though he did his best not to show it. He turned his hand palm up as Edwin's fingers brushed across, letting his own fingertips slide over the medic's gloved palm. Billy's gaze, however, remained fixed to the side, unable to bring himself to meet Edwin's gaze. Lifeline looked down at the Marine. Behind the surgical mask, the medic bit his lip as he felt the itch of tears behind his dark eyes. Squeezing them shut for a moment, he took a deep breath to try to regain his composure. _God, please give me the strength to do this..._

The silence that stretched between them was tense to the point of being tangible before Billy spoke. His voice was soft, but carried easily in the quiet room. "E-Edwin..." he began, then his voice faltered and he closed his eyes; he wanted to know what was going on, but suddenly found that he couldn't ask.

The medic felt something clench in his chest as Billy said his name, the other man's voice laced with fear and uncertainty. Reaching for the safety railing on the side of Billy's bed, Edwin unlocked it and slid it down before peeling off the latex gloves and stuffing them into the pocket of the lab coat he was wearing. Reaching up behind his dark head, he untied the surgical mask, letting it flutter down on to his chest to reveal a jaw shadowed with dark stubble. Silently, Lifeline perched on the edge of the Marine's hospital bed and reached for Billy's hand, lacing their fingers together.

Billy's eyes flew open when Edwin took his hand, looking up and unable to keep the surprise from his face when he saw that the surgical mask was gone as well. Surprise and concern chased each other across his face, and finally confusion settled in. "You're _not_ a leper and I can't treat you like one." The medic said quietly as he looked at the Marine. Billy once again found words failing him as he started to reach up, then hesitated, glancing toward the the observation window uncertainly. "It's okay, we're alone for a bit." Edwin said softly.

Nodding, Billy reached up again, touching the stubble on Edwin's cheek briefly, before swallowing hard and letting his hand drop again, only keeping his eyes on his lover's through sheer force of will. He opened his mouth to speak, all the questions tumbling over one another in an effort to get out. "What's...happening to me?" he asked, hating how cliche the question sounded, and how scared his voice sounded to his own ears.

Lifeline squeezed his dark eyes shut momentarily once again. Unconsciously he squeezed the Marine's hand as he steeled himself. Opening up his eyes, he looked at Billy. "There's..." the medic started after a few moments. "There's...a parasite..."

"Parasite? What...kind of parasite?"

"Rebecca is fairly sure that it's something Umbrella created..." Edwin answered quietly.

What little color was left in Billy's face drained away at that. "Oh, god..."

Reaching over, Lifeline covered their joined hands with his other and swallowed as he felt his composure beginning to slip. During his years as a medic, Edwin had been the bearer of bad news, and over time he had learned to keep his personal feelings in check; but as he looked at his lover's pale face, every bit of training he had seemed drain away. "S-she thinks that you've probably been c-carrying it for some time, maybe in some kind of a dormant state until recently." There was a slight tremor in Lifeline's voice as he spoke.

"How in the fuck?" Billy's voice was barely above a whisper, his shock being overridden only a little as his brain scrambled to try and fit far too few pieces together.

Edwin shook his dark head. "We – we don't know. Maybe when you were trapped in the Training Facility – something that got into your system, or possibly the asylum."

"...Jesus Christ..." Billy's eyes dropped again and he fell silent, staring at his hand. An image came, unbidden, of that night alone, his hand twisting and turning without his thoughts willing it. He swallowed hard and clenched his fist. Taking the hand that had been covering their joined ones, Lifeline raised it to the Marine's face, touching the side of it gently. The touch broke Billy from his dark thoughts, and he realized he'd been squeezing Edwin's hand quite hard. He eased up on his grip, reaching up with his free hand to touch the hand on his cheek. "How...long have I got? Before this thing kills me or..." His throat seized up, and he couldn't finish the sentence; with Umbrella he knew, there _were_ things worse than death.

Edwin felt tears itching the back of his eyes once again. Leaning in closer, he touched his dark head to Billy's. "I – I don't know..." his voice was barely more than a whisper, a slight tremor shaking it as he spoke. "It's – it's integrated itself into your internal organs..."

Edwin's words hit Billy like a physical blow, and his eyes fell closed. "God...oh god..." he whispered.

Slipping his hand from the side of Billy's face, the medic slid his arm around the Marine and pulled him closer. Billy released Edwin's hand, wrapping both arms around the medic, all but shaking. He understood what was going on, but his brain wouldn't, no _couldn't_ process the information he was being given. Fear and nausea wound together in his stomach, and he felt the uncomfortable burning of tears in his eyes. Lifeline's freed hand came up to slide into Billy's hair, gently combing through the brunette locks as he held the Marine close. Billy grit his teeth hard as he felt Edwin's fingers in his hair, the touch familiar and reassuring in its familiarity. "You're not...I mean, I didn't...you're okay, right?"

The medic nodded his head slightly, "It doesn't look like something that's contagious."

"Thank god..." The Marine sagged in Edwin's arms as the medic's fingers slid out of Billy's dark hair and he wrapped his other arm around his lover, pulling the Marine as close as he could.

They were still sitting like that when Rebecca entered, too agitated from her talk with Duke to bother with gloves or a surgical mask as she prepared to enter the containment lab itself. She realized that she was violating safety procedures, but she didn't give a damn. Pausing at the console, Rebecca saw the nurse returning, and stepped into the doorway before the nurse could enter. "I'll be taking over Lieutenant Coen's monitoring," She said to the woman firmly in her most authoritative tone. "I'll call when I'm ready for a replacement."

The nurse, a young brunette woman who had only been assigned to Joe Headquarters for a few months, looked at the other woman with wide eyes for a moment. "Y-Yes, m'am," she stuttered out as she raised her hand to salute, before recalling that Rebecca was a civilian. Nervously, the young nurse dropped her hand before retreating back out the door, which slid automatically closed once she was safely out of the doorway.

That taken care of, Rebecca turned back toward the observation glass, watching Edwin and Billy silently, giving herself the time she needed to let the vision of Billy wrapped in the arms of another man become less odd before she made her presence known.

Within the makeshift room, Billy tilted his head until it was resting on Edwin's shoulder, feeling suddenly very weary, although not at all tired. The initial shock was starting to fade, leaving a numbness in its wake. Relaxing his hold a bit, Lifeline once again brought his hand up to gently comb through the Marine's dark hair. "We're gonna fight this every inch of the way," he said softly, "I won't let it have you, not without a fight."

"Neither of us is going to," Rebecca chimed in as she stepped into the lab, walking slowly toward the bed. Billy let his gaze move to the young woman, and he started to pull away from Edwin a little, but she reached out to stop him as she reached the bed. "Don't. You need it."

The medic blushed faintly at Rebecca's sudden appearance. It was one thing to have her know about his relationship with Billy, but quite another for her to actually be privy to a private moment between them. "Sorry to sneak up on you," Rebecca replied quietly, letting her hand drop away from Billy and taking a step back as the Marine relaxed a little against Edwin again.

"I was expecting you earlier," Lifeline said.

"Uh, yeah, sorry about that...I kinda ended up running late. I had a...meeting this morning."

The medic's eyebrow rose a bit at that. Billy raised his head off Edwin's shoulder and looked back at Rebecca, his own expression curious. Smiling with a confidence she didn't feel, she went on. "Nothing to worry about. It just ran longer than I expected."

Edwin frowned momentarily at the slightly cryptic answer but chose not to pursue it any further, thinking that perhaps it had something to do with the CDC and Rebecca's work there. Billy only nodded a little, and sighed, laying his head back down again. As he did, Rebecca tilted her head to the side; the Marine wasn't moving with the stiffness of pain that had become the norm since his initial collapse. Lifeline was unaware of Rebecca's scrutiny of the Marine, having glanced down at the other brunette as Billy resettled himself. The Marine's thoughts turned inward, and he was silent. Rebecca touched Edwin's shoulder. "I'll be out in the other room when you're done here. Call me if you need anything, okay?"

Edwin looked up at the light touch and he nodded his head, his dark eyes reflecting the maelstrom of emotions whirling within him. Giving Edwin's shoulder a small squeeze, Rebecca turned on her heel and walked out. "I...guess I won't have to ask if she knows..." Billy murmured softly.

"She figured it out yesterday," the medic said as he looked back down at Billy.

"Oh."

"I couldn't really lie to her when she asked."

"You mean when she didn't ask?" Billy asked quietly, looking up and trying to give Edwin a shaky smile at the weak joke.

The medic smiled a bit in return, grateful to see some of Billy's old self creeping back into the Marine. "I think she was pretty shocked."

"...Not surprised...I think she had a thing for me...back then," Billy replied quietly.

"I think she still does," Lifeline said, his dark eyes on the other man.

"...Really?" The Marine was obviously surprised at the observation. It occurred to him, for a moment, that this was hardly the time to be discussing something so mundane. On the other hand, he also knew that a degree of normalcy was exactly what he needed right now.

Edwin nodded slightly. "I think that's why she's so bent on doing everything and anything she can to help you."

"Maybe..."

"Whatever her reasons, I'm glad she's here."

"Yeah...me, too. If anybody can help me...you two can." The medic smiled a bit at Billy as his fingers once again began to gently comb through his lover's brunette hair. "Just...I know I asked you before...but, you'll look after Robby, right? Just in case?"

Edwin nodded his dark head. "He called me a few nights ago."

"Is he okay?"

"He was worried because he hadn't heard from you; but otherwise, I think he was okay."

"Good to know. Think...there'd be a way to arrange for me to call him? So he doesn't worry too much?"

"I'm sure we can arrange something," Lifeline said with a slight nod. His dark gaze softened as he looked at Billy. "He wanted me to tell you that he loved you the next time that I saw you."

That brought the first true smile to Billy's lips and he nodded. "You'd...better go see what Rebecca wants..." he said quietly. Edwin looked at Billy silently for a few moments before nodding his head as he loosened his hold on the Marine. "Oh...and...one more thing?" The medic canted his head to the side a bit as he looked at Billy questioningly. "Can you talk somebody into bringing me a couple magazines, some paperwork, or something? I'm gonna go completely out of my mind if I just keep staring at these walls...too much like prison."

"I'll see what I can do," Lifeline said with a smile.

* * *

When Edwin finally exited Billy's makeshift room, he found Rebecca sitting at the monitoring console, her expression dark and her entire manner agitated. She was scribbling away furiously on a clipboard she had started carrying everywhere, sufficiently wrapped up in her thoughts that she didn't hear the hissing of the hydraulics in the door as it closed behind Edwin. Not wanting to interrupt the young woman, the medic quietly stepped closer, stopping when he was only an arm's length away from the monitoring station. Standing silently, he watched Rebecca, waiting for her to finish with whatever it was she was writing. Rebecca finished her notes with a period that was more of a stab of the pen than grammatical punctuation. Looking up, she jumped a little. "Sorry, I didn't hear you come back in."

"It's okay," Lifeline replied. "You looked like you were pretty caught up."

"I'm pissed, is what I am, Lifeline," Rebecca replied frankly, setting aside the clipboard and tucking her pen back into a pocket of her lab coat. The medic tilted his head a bit as he gave the young woman a curious look. Rebecca double-checked the microphone, to make sure it was off so that Billy wouldn't accidentally overhear their conversation. "I went and spoke with Duke this morning."

"Rebecca..." Edwin started reproachfully.

"If you're about to launch into a lecture," She replied, cutting him off, "don't. What I did goes well beyond trying to do a favor for a friend. Trying to move Billy out of this facility is just asking for another Raccoon City."

Silently, Lifeline looked at Rebecca for a few moments before closing his eyes with a sigh. "And what did he say?"

"That it's out of his hands, apparently," Rebecca replied, and then slumped a little in the chair, the anger finally starting to wear off some. "And that Billy's to be kept here under strict quarantine until further notice."

"And any decision regarding moving Billy comes down from General Hawk." the medic supplied. "He said pretty much the same thing to me yesterday."

Rebecca nodded, running a hand through her hair. "I know...but considering what I've been through... what I've seen...it wouldn't matter if I knew Billy or not...what he's carrying... We need to figure out something, and fast."

Raising his hand, Edwin pushed his glasses up on his forehead and rubbed at his red-rimmed eyes wearily. "You're the expert," the medic said as he resettled his glasses.

"Billy was handled as a military prisoner...very likely whatever institution he was placed in would have had some connection to the military. Can you think of any places like that?"

"I don't know..." Lifeline replied after a few moments while he raked his hand through his dark hair. "My mind isn't thinking too straight at the moment..."

"Give it some thought and get back to me ASAP. There can't be too many places like that, and maybe one of them still has Billy's files. Even if the place has been shut down, there's no guarantee the records were destroyed."

Edwin just nodded silently.


	6. Chapter Six

Chapter Six

 

The door to the Ready Room was already open when Lifeline reached it. Poking his head in the doorway, he saw Mainframe seated at the large conference table. The computer expert was tapping away on a keyboard, his eyes on one of the personal sized flat panel LCD monitors that were set up along the length of the table. Open in front of Mainframe, was a nondescript looking manila folder, a small pile of yellow legal sized papers inside. "Mainframe?"

"Hey, buddy." Looking up at the sound of his name, Mainframe gave his fellow Joe a small smile as he ceased typing.

"Your message said you had some information," Lifeline said as he stepped through the door.

"Yeah, pull up a chair." The computer specialist waited for the medic to get himself settled. "I got a few leads on that stuff you asked me to check into."

"That was quick, thanks."

Mainframe shrugged his shoulders. "Piece of cake."

Rebecca came walking in a few minutes later, hastily tying her hair back and doing her best not to look as hurried or as frazzled as she did. Smoothing down her lab coat, she looked at each man in turn. "Hope I'm not running too late," she said in her most apologetic tone.

"Right on time," Mainframe replied, flashing the young woman one of his patented flirty smiles as he did so.

"Rebecca ..." Edwin started to rise to his feet.

Rebecca blinked at the reply, the sight of Mainframe's smile bringing a blush to her cheeks as she smiled shyly back. She was grateful when she heard Lifeline's voice, however; flirting was all well and good, but now was _not_   the time to address it. "Good morning ...or whatever it is now," she said to the medic.

"I didn't know you'd be here, too," Lifeline said as he once again resumed his seat.

"Well you two have been joined at the hip since Doctor Chambers arrived. So I figured I better invite her along, too." Mainframe looked at the medic as he spoke. "Now I know why the lovely Ms. Van Mark gave you the boot." There was a teasing tone in the specialist's voice.

"That's not very funny, Mainframe." Edwin said, nonplussed.

"If it's all the same to you, gentlemen, can we get on with this please?" Rebecca asked, doing her best to keep her voice level.

"I'm always willing to oblige a lady," Mainframe responded as he turned his attention to the monitor in front of him. "Let's get this show on the road." Turning the screen around to face Rebecca and Lifeline, the computer specialist tapped a few keys which in turn brought up the image of a map on the screen.

"Using Regarthon as a starting point, I did searches within a five hundred mile radius." A red star indicating the military prison flashed on the screen. "I only came up with two places, neither of which fit what you guys were looking for." Pressing another button, several small blue dots appeared as the map zoomed out. "Spreading the search out to fifteen hundred miles, I found three more. Out of those, two of them handled more violent cases."

"Military-affiliated, or government-funded?" Rebecca asked thoughtfully as she studied the map.

"They were both privately owned, but yeah, one of them did handle some military prisoners," Mainframe replied before hitting another series of keys, changing the map.

Edwin looked at Rebecca for a moment before turning his dark gaze back to Mainframe. "So what is this place?"

"A sunny little hideaway called the Lakeview Institution for the Criminally Insane."

"What a terrible name..." Rebecca said softly, slumping back into her seat.

"Could you see what you can dig up about it for us?" Lifeline asked the other Joe.

"Already there, buddy." Returning to the keyboard once again, Mainframe tapped the keys once again, the map on the screen blanking out to replaced by what looked like an aerial photograph of a building. "Lakeview Institution was opened in nineteen sixty, headed by a Doctor Malcolm Weissman, some kind of psychiatric maverick who had some, for that time, way out theories on dealing with violent cases. He apparently took in some of the worst of the worst. Weissman's successor started taking in military prisoners in the late seventies, not many though."

Rebecca frowned. "What ...kind of theories?"

"I dunno," Mainframe responded as he looked at the young woman. "I really didn't pay much attention." He thought for a moment. "Color therapy ...sensory deprivation tanks ...hallucinogens ...I can look into it some more if you want."

"Would you, please?" Rebecca said; and then after a beat, went on, "Deprivation tanks?"

Mainframe shrugged. "Maybe I got it wrong."

"What about Lakeview?" Edwin prodded.

"Yeah, uh, anyway, like I said, they started taking in a limited number of military prisoners – again the most violent and dangerous – until about three years ago."

"What happened three years ago?" the medic inquired.

"The place closed down." Mainframe answered. "Some kind of scandal, mistreatment of patients or something. Nothing was ever proved though."

Rebecca looked down at her hands, folded in her lap, as she tried to let herself process what she had been told. Her brain, however, was being most uncooperative, flooding her mind's eye with images of what horrors Billy may have seen while in that place. It made her wonder, fleetingly, if he truly didn't remember any of his stay, or simply had blocked the memories, leaving them accessible only by his subconscious. "Rebecca?" Edwin had turned to regard the young woman.

"H-huh?" came the shaky reply, as she was jarred from her thoughts. Embarrassed to be caught unaware in the middle of such a meeting, she gave herself a mental shake, and looked back up.

"Are you okay?" the medic asked gently.

"O-of course." Rebecca offered up a smile she didn't feel, and tried to pull herself together. "I'm sorry."

Edwin looked at her silently for a few moments before turning to look at Mainframe once again. "Anything else?"

The computer specialist nodded his head. "Weissman and his successor ..." Mainframe looked down at his notes in the folder in front of him. "a Doctor Marilyn Trine, did a lot of funded studies. One of their biggest contributors was Umbrella Pharmaceuticals."

"Oh god ...they were...using the patients..." Rebecca felt the sudden urge to be ill at the implications, and how sickeningly perfect such a place would have been for experiments in mind-altering drugs.

Lifeline's hand went to his mouth as he squeezed his dark eyes closed. _Oh god, Billy..._

Mainframe tapped on the keyboard one last time, the LCD monitor blanking out. Rebecca rose from her seat, mumbling a quiet "excuse me" to both men before hurrying out into the hall, hugging herself a little as she went. Hearing the chair being pushed back, Edwin opened his eyes. "Rebecca?" he said as he dropped his hand and started to rise to his feet. "Thanks, Mainframe," he said as he pushed his own chair back and started towards the door. As he passed through the doorway, the medic looked down the hall to the right and then the left, spotting the young woman several yards away. "Rebecca..."

Rebecca was slumped against the wall her face covered with a hand, the glitter of tears on her cheeks. At the sound of her name, she started, wiping hastily at the tears and coughing nervously. "L-Lifeline..."

The medic's coffee brown eyes were soft as he looked at the former S.T.A.R.S. agent before starting towards her. His long stride quickly took him to her side; and reaching out, he lightly touched her upper arm. "I-I'm sorry..." Rebecca said softly, not looking up. "This ...is hardly the time for me to be losing it..."

Edwin gave her arm a small squeeze. "It's alright. I can't believe it either," he said softly. "Just the thought of what they were probably doing ...it makes my stomach roil; and when I think of Billy being there, at their mercy ..." the medic trailed off and shook his head.

"There's a chance ...they don't always destroy the files when places like that are shut down ...Billy's records may still be in the building..." Rebecca whispered. "If we could ...get a look at the place..."

"Do you really think they would keep records of something like that?"

"Probably not ...specifically about that ...but anything at all might help..."

Lifeline was silent for a few moments as he looked down at Rebecca. "I can try talking to Duke, about sending someone out to take a look around."

Rebecca shook her head. "Only if he'll let me tag along. This may sound stupid but ...I don't want just anybody looking at that file."

"Rebecca..."

The young woman held up a hand before Lifeline could protest. "No one'll know better than I do just what I'm looking for, Lifeline. And if this place for some freak reason turns out to be associated with Umbrella, I've got field experience with their complexes already. That's something even your anti-B.O.W. people don't have, except for Billy."

As much as he didn't like it, Edwin knew that she was right. "There is no guarantee that he's going to let you tag along."

"I know..." The former medic sighed and slumped a little against the wall again. "And I'm hardly his favorite person right now..."

"But even he can't deny that this is an important lead and at least one of us needs to go," Lifeline said gently. "As much as I hate to admit it, you are the best qualified."

Rebecca nodded. "We should go tell him what we've found..."

"Yeah..."

* * *

"Absolutely not." The tone of Duke's voice was resolute.

"Duke..."

"The answer is no, Lifeline."

"But its the best lead we've got," the medic tried again.

"Doctor Chambers is a civilian."

"Yes she is," Lifeline agreed. "And she's also the best qualified to go. Besides her previous experience inside Umbrella facilities, she knows exactly what she's looking for. If there is anything at Lakeview to find, she'll be the one who will know whether or not it's valuable information."

"Look, if it makes you feel any better, Duke," Rebecca said, doing her best to keep her voice soft and even. "Send some of your people with me. Give me a military escort. Whatever it takes. But we can't just ignore this."

"This might be our only chance." Edwin added quietly.

His fingers steepled in front of him, the hard-eyed blonde silently regarded the two people sitting across from him for a few moments. "What size of an escort would we be talking about?" He asked at length.

"Whatever you'd be willing to give, the smaller the better," Rebecca replied. "I'd rather not stir up too much fuss over the trip."

"Possibly a couple from Devil Dog's team," Lifeline suggested, glancing from Rebecca to Duke. "They might not have the actual experience that Re – Doctor Chambers has, but they were all personally trained by Devil Dog, and his experience with Umbrella and their creations is at least equal if not greater than hers."

"True," Duke said, turning his blue eyed gaze to Rebecca. "But technically, they're still Green Shirts. I can't send you out with a pair of untried recruits, Doctor."

"Maybe a compromise, then? Two of the Lieutenant's men, and two of your Joes?" Rebecca replied evenly, meeting Duke's gaze calmly.

The blonde seemed to consider for a few moments before nodding. "But it's just a recon mission. You go in, poke around for a couple of hours and then get out. You find anything other than file cabinets, you high-tail it out of there, got it?"

Rebecca nodded. "That's reasonable."

"I want to go too," Lifeline said quietly, his eyes on Duke.

"Out of the question." Came the immediate reply.

"Why not?" the medic asked. "I can be part of Doctor Chamber's escort."

"You're needed here, Lifeline."

"But if it's just a short recon mission ..."

"One of you needs to be here in case something else happens with Devil Dog." Duke said, cutting the medic off.

"I need a trained medic with me," Rebecca spoke up. "And last I checked, Hancock has only been cleared for light duty. He could man the consoles and see to Billy's care while we're gone. It would keep us from having to bring in too many people." After a moment, she went on. "The more people start figuring out what's going on, Duke, the more rumors are going to start to fly, and the harder it's going to be to keep the truth quiet."

"You don't need a medic for a simple recon mission in an abandoned building."

"No, I need a medic to help me sort through all the medical claptrap so I can find relevant material quickly, if there's relevant material to find."

Duke's icy blue eyes flicked between Rebecca and Lifeline. "Alright," he said at length. "But I still want two other Joes. No offense Lifeline, but just in case you do run into trouble..."

The medic nodded his head. "I understand."

Rebecca nodded, and smiled just a bit. "Perfectly understandable."

"Remember, you go in, look around and then get the hell back out," Duke said.

"Of course."

Lifeline nodded his head in agreement. "Understood."

As he looked at Lifeline and Rebecca Chambers, Duke couldn't shake the feeling that this simple recon mission was going to turn out to be anything but.


	7. Chapter Seven

Chapter Seven

 

The Lakeview Institution for the Criminally Insane was an impressive facility. Or at least, there was evidence that it had been while in its prime. The largest of the massive red brick buildings stood at the top of a small, gently sloping hill. Several other buildings and the lake the institution got its name from could be seen distantly. The walls were starting to show some wear and tear, several of the windows on the lower stories broken from passing time, all of them sporting solid iron bars. Those bars were the only indication that this was something more than a resort-like hospital.

Waist-high grass swayed lightly in the breeze, a tranquil sight juxtaposed against the soft moaning of that wind as it raced to and fro within the decrepit building. Beneath their feet, what had once been an elegant mosaic walkway led up to the main doors. Time and weeds had slowly undone the carefully laid stones, pieces of concrete jutting up from the ground just enough to catch and unwary person by surprise and send them tumbling. Rebecca couldn't help but regard the complex with a mixture of disgust and wariness. "Man, whatta dump," Gung Ho said as he looked around, his laser rifle leaning against his muscled shoulder.

Standing next to the big Cajun, Lifeline's dark eyes flicked over the abandoned building and he could help but shiver a bit, almost as if a chill finger where sliding down his spine. A few feet away from Rebecca, Scarlett unfolded a copy of the building schematics that Mainframe had provided for the group, the rendering showing the different floors and rooms as specified in the original engineered drawings.

Looking at the sprawling group of buildings, Kenya Strong shook her head and reached to flip her cornrowed hair off her shoulder. "They sent the Big Guy here?" She asked, incredulous, while beside her, Raphael Hopper stood in silence, his expression as he looked at the former institution warily.

Rebecca flicked her eyes toward Scarlett as she spoke softly. "Where were the records kept?"

Looking up from the drawing, Scarlett's sapphire gaze glanced at the building for a moment before turning to Rebecca. "There are two rooms marked file storage, one on the first floor and one in the basement level. Of course, that's not counting the individual staff offices..."

"Or that things more than likely probably were changed around since the original plans were filed." Lifeline added as he stepped closer to the two women.

"Sounds like we should probably split up, then," Rebecca said thoughtfully.

"Possibly," Scarlett said as she refolded the map and tucked it into her belt. "But for now, we stay together."

Rebecca nodded. "All right. Let's start with the file storage on the first floor, if that's agreeable with everyone?"

Hopper and Strong both nodded. "As good a place as any," Hopper said quietly.

"That will also give us access to some of the staff offices, too," Lifeline added, his hand unconsciously going to the holster strapped on his hip and the unfamiliar weight of Billy's Magnum. Despite the medic's protests, the Marine had coaxed Edwin into carrying the gun, if only for his own peace of mind. Edwin hated guns and violence, but as he had looked at Billy, he couldn't find the heart to refuse, the Marine's dark blue eyes earnest as he had pressed the holster into his lover's hands.

"Then let's get moving," Strong said, looking around uneasily. "Sooner we find what we're looking for... or not... the sooner we can get the hell outta here."

"I'm with you, lady." Gung Ho chimed in.

Adjusting her hold on her laser rifle, Scarlett nodded. "Gung Ho, you take the point, followed by Hopper, Doctor Chambers, Lifeline, and then Strong. I'll bring up the rear. Now, let's move out."

* * *

Raphael Hopper wasn't the kind of man who was easily spooked. He was a pilot after all. That meant being able to handle insane situations without breaking a sweat. As he and the others made their way through the reception area of Lakeview, he couldn't help but feel an oppressive sense of claustrophobia. "... Place gives me the creeps," he muttered quietly.

Standing nearby, Kenya Strong nodded her agreement. Her eyes roved the building, taking in the cracking plaster, the pieces of glass littering the floor. There was evidence the place was inhabited by mice and birds, and occasionally one or the other could be heard moving about. A wheelchair could be seen here and there, one left on its side, the other sitting next to badly worn couches and empty gurneys.

As impressive as Lakeview had been on the outside, the interior was quite a different story. The walls were pale and stark, the tiled floors cool and hard underfoot. As the group made their way down the main corridor, the wind coming in through the broken windows seemed to moan a bit, a slightly mournful sound that sent a faint shiver down Lifeline's spine.

Following behind the others, Scarlett's sapphire gaze swept from side to side as they passed several doors, both opened and closed. As she passed one of the rooms, she could see a chair and a desk, the latter overturned on its side, glass from the broken barred window glittering on the floor.

"How long has this place been shut down again?" Rebecca asked, clearly perplexed by the overall condition of the institute building so far.

"Three years, I think Mainframe said." Lifeline answered his voice echoing slightly despite his soft tone.

"Looks more like thirty years, if you ask me." Gung Ho interjected.

Rebecca frowned. "This doesn't make sense... what happened here? There's not a medical board in the world that would let a place keep running... if it's this bad now..."

"Don't forget, Doctor," Scarlett said from her place behind Kenya Strong, "what kind of people were housed here... it might sound harsh, but I doubt that anyone was too worried about a bunch of psychopaths."

_Billy was here..so maybe the others weren't so crazy, either._ Rebecca thought, shaking her head and then sighing. "They're still people. Now, where to from here?"

Calling the small column to a halt, Scarlett once again dug out the map and consulted it, holding it to catch the light coming in from one of the opened doors. "There should be a juncture up a head. According to this, we take the left corridor and it should take us right to the records room."

Rebecca nodded, exhaling a small breath and looking down the hallway. "Then lets get moving. If there are any records left here, I'd rather have as much light as possible to use to look through them."

"Agreed," Scarlett said with a slight nod as she refolded the map. "Okay people, back in line and lets move out."

* * *

The walk to the records room was one taken in silence. Rebecca had very little else to say, Strong and Hopper both tense as they looked around. The echoing of their footfalls on the pale floor was the only sound as the group approached a large gray steel door at the end of the corridor, the presumed file storage area as marked on the map. According to the information that Main Frame had given them, the room was supposedly designed to be fire-safe, with a reinforced door and walls to safeguard both the facility's patient files and research documentation. Rebecca couldn't help but feel a sense of apprehension as they stopped, looking at the stenciled letters on the door. While she didn't expect to find Billy's files so easily, she couldn't help but wonder if she was about to be cast in the part of Pandora, opening a box meant to remain closed.

As the group slowed and gathered around the door, Scarlett stepped forward, her eyes scanning the dark gray portal. Just above the handle was the hasp of a padlock, hanging as though it had been pried open with a crowbar or similar tool. The lock itself was nowhere to be found as the flame-haired woman looked down at the floor in front of the door. "Looks like somebody already been here," Gung Ho said to no one in particular.

"This place has been abandoned for three years Gung Ho, a prime target for vandals. Probably how all the windows got broken." Lifeline said.

"Even so, I bet they didn't stay around once it got dark." The big Cajun replied.

"Nobody in their right mind would," Strong chimed in, frowning as she looked around.

"Enough with the chit-chat people," Scarlett said as she turned to look at the assembled group.

Rebecca threaded her way through the crowd, stopping next to Scarlett. "Let me step inside and see how crowded it is in there," She offered. "I'd rather not have more people in there than we need."

The flame-haired woman nodded her head. "Gung Ho, get the door for Doctor Chambers."

"You got it." Shouldering his laser rifle, the big Marine stepped forward as Scarlett and Rebecca moved away from the door. Reaching for the handle he pushed it down and set his shoulder against the cold steel and slowly pushed the reinforced door open.

The door opened with a loud creak and the distinct sound of metal rubbing on metal. Rebecca winced at the noise, but stepped forward, looking into the room beyond. "Oh hell..." She whispered.

The room was in complete disarray. Those filing cabinets that had not been knocked over were standing open, their contents spilled everywhere. Some of the papers were bloodstained, and in a far corner, a body that was little more than a skeleton grinned. "Looks like a tornado went though here," Gung Ho said from over Rebecca's shoulder, the big man's eyes flicking around the room as he spoke before settling on the skeleton. "And Halloween's come early too."

"What's going on?" Scarlett asked as she steeped around Gung Ho and stopped in the doorway behind Rebecca.

Rebecca looked up at Gung Ho incredulously. "Does every Marine in the world have a morbid sense of humor?" She asked, before glancing back at Scarlett. "Looks like things were... less than peaceful the last time this door was opened."

The red-head's blue eyes scanned the room within taking in the disarray – the torn and bloodied papers littering the floor and what appeared to be splashes of blood on the walls and overturned file cabinets before coming to rest on the apparent human remains in the corner. The skeleton was, from what she could see, still intact, the figure sitting somewhat upright against the wall.

Rebecca pressed a little further into the room, kneeling beside some of the papers. The blood-stains were dried, and there was a layer of dust over everything, indicating that some time had passed since the event occurred. Frowning to herself, Rebecca kept walking into the room, stepping cautiously.

Scarlett followed the younger woman into the vault-like room, Gung Ho right behind. Both Joes had their weapons up as they fanned out, sharp eyes and ears alert while Lifeline and the others brought up the rear. The medic's nose wrinkled a bit at the musty, sour smell that assailed him as he stepped into the room, his dark eyes widening a bit as he saw the dark stains splattered on the plain concrete walls.

Rebecca made a beeline for the body, kneeling beside it and looking it over carefully. What had before seemed to be a completely stripped skeleton, revealed itself to be closer to mummified upon closer inspection. Rebecca frowned a little, and shook her head; had the victim been a carrier? Lifeline's dark eyes followed Rebecca as she made her way over to the corner. Stepping between the overturned cabinets, he moved towards her. She glanced back at him as he approached. "This is very strange, Lifeline," She said. "It doesn't look like this man was attacked in here... I suppose he could have been a carrier before... it would explain the blood and the advanced decay..."

"Or he could have been some poor vagrant who got trapped in here somehow," the medic said as he kneeled down on the other side of the body.

Rebecca shook her head. "He's a little too far gone for that..." Then she gave a weak smile. "But I suppose I also may be overreacting because of paranoia. But this _was_ a place receiving funds from Umbrella..."

"Not all of Umbrella was just a front," Edwin countered. "Although I can see your point."

While the two spoke, the rest of the group had spread out in the room, Scarlett and Strong bent down as they looked through some of the pages strewn on the floor, disturbing the dust layered over them so that faint pale puffs rose up in the air.

Rebecca finally stood, and shook her head. "You're probably right, he was most likely just a vagrant. I've wasted enough time jumping at shadows," She concluded, standing up. "We'd better see if we can find anything useful."

With a nod of his dark head, Lifeline rose to his feet as well and moved away to rejoin the others.

* * *

The air was choked with dust by the time Scarlett called a halt, the flame-haired Joe gauging that they had spent more than enough time sifting through the jumbled mess. Rebecca sighed softly, pinching the bridge of her nose. They had found precious little so far that could be counted as useful, beyond copious evidence that some truly bizarre treatments had been tried in the facility. As the group gathered around Scarlett, her sapphire gaze settled on Rebecca. "Looks like this room is a bust," she said. "I think it's time to move on before we lose daylight."

"You're right," Rebecca agreed. "So shall we check the staff offices, or venture down into the basement?"

Pulling out the map, Scarlett unfolded it and laid it on one of the file cabinets. "This is the stairwell that leads to the basement," she said, pointing at the map after a few moments scrutiny. "We can backtrack our way down the hallway towards the main entrance or take this corridor," her gloved finger traced the route on the page. "It looks like it loops back."

"What's down that corridor?" Lifeline asked, his eyes on the map.

"Treatment rooms."

Rebecca shivered, and looked at Lifeline. "What do you think?"

The medic wasn't sure that he wanted to see the treatment rooms of the Lakeview Institution after reading over some of the scattered papers himself. "I'm all for going back the way we came. We can check out some of the offices on the way."

"Any objections?" Rebecca looked around at her companions quietly.

"No offense Doctor, but this isn't a democracy." Scarlett said as she refolded the map and tucked it into her belt. "We don't have time to take a poll."

Rebecca bit down a sharp retort and counted to ten before she replied. "Then the easiest way to cover ground quickly, and to make sure we're thorough, would be to split up," she said, and then added with no small amount of venom. "Like I suggested originally."

Scarlett frowned a bit, not altogether she liked the idea even though it was a sound one. After a few moments, she nodded her head in agreement. "Alright. We'll split up. Lifeline, you and Hopper are with me. We'll take the offices up here. Gung Ho, you go with Strong and Doctor Chambers down to the basement level." The big Cajun nodded. "Keep in radio contact," the red-head instructed. "If we don't turn up anything in..." she glanced down at her watch. "...two hours, then we'll meet back at the main entrance."

"Let's go," Rebecca said, glancing at her own teammates. "That doesn't give us much time."

"Lets move it out," Scarlett said with a nod of her head as she headed for the door, Hopper just a few steps behind her. Lifeline flashed Rebecca a faint smile before turning to follow.

* * *

Parting ways with the rest of the group, Scarlett led Hopper and Lifeline back down corridor, retracing their steps towards the front part of the building. As they approached the various doorways lining the hall, the three broke away from one another to investigate them. Some were just empty rooms, usually containing only glass from the broken windows scattered on the floor. One or two had overturned office chairs and desks, the latter with their drawers opened and empty.

Edwin was beginning to think that they were just wasting their time when he pushed open the half-closed door of one of the offices, his dark eyes quickly scanning the interior before stepping in further. The interior of this particular office seemed to be a bit nicer than the others, the walls lined in wood paneling with scrolled wainscotting and the remnants of wine dark drapes hanging from the barred window. Obviously, this office had belonged to someone of importance on the institution's staff, probably someone who had to deal with visitors and relatives of the patients judging by the understated but still tasteful décor. It wasn't these amenities that drew the medic's attention however, it was the large desk in the center of the room whose wood matched that of the paneling on the walls.

* * *

On the opposite end of things, Rebecca and her team were turning up next to nothing. The basement was cold, the floors and walls all concrete, which reminded Rebecca of nothing so much as a dungeon. The file storage room mentioned on their map was a large one, and the three of them spread out through the room to check it and its contents over.

* * *

Scarlett let out a small sneeze as she rose from the floor where she had been kneeling. The blue-eyed woman had been examining some papers on the floor of one of the offices. So far, her group had turned up nil and as she sneezed a second time, the flame-haired Joe couldn't help but think what a waste of time the entire trip was turning out to be.

* * *

Searching through the drawers of the desk, Lifeline found only a few scraps of paper, a pencil and a large spider that had made the medic jump a bit when it had scuttled out of the darkness of one of the drawers. He was about to give up when he glimpsed something shining on the floor underneath the desk. Getting down on his knees, Edwin reached under the desk, hoping that he wasn't about to pick up the skeletal remains of the spider's latest meal when his fingers encountered the unmistakable shape of a key.

* * *

As she worked carefully, Kenya Strong couldn't help but grumble a little to herself about all the different, decidedly weird jobs that had become day-to-day chores since joining Billy's unit. She liked her CO, and she got along with the others, but it was hard sometimes not to think that maybe insanity was catching, and that maybe Billy was a little less grounded than she had thought.

* * *

The key that Lifeline had found turned out to fit into the lock on what apparently had been a closet in the office. Taking a deep breath before he opened the door, the medic had found his hand unconsciously going to Billy's Magnum in it's holster on his hip as he slowly opened the door.

* * *

Rebecca finally rocked back on her heels, checking her watch. Their time was almost up, and she fought the urge to scream or cry. They hadn't turned up anything useful, and failure wasn't something she wanted to entertain. She refused to give up on the hope that there was a treatment for Billy's condition, and that it was only a matter of finding the right information to do it.

* * *

Edwin's dark eyes flicked over the labeled tabs on the manila folders as he flipped through the drawers of the filing cabinet. The wooden cabinet had been the last thing that the medic had expected to find inside the closet when he had opened the door. That it had been unlocked was yet another surprise. Pulling out one of the folders, he opened it and began to sift through the pages within.

* * *

Scarlett met Hopper in the hallway, the two other soldiers having come up empty-handed in their search. "Where's Lifeline?" the woman asked the pilot, her cobalt gaze flicking up and down the hallway as she spoke.

"I saw him head into one of the offices, he's been in there awhile," Hopper replied, dusting his hands off on his pants and then pointing toward the door.

Adjusting her laser rifle on her shoulder, the red-head moved towards the indicated office, calling out as she reached the doorway. "Lifeline?"

"Here," the medic responded, looking up from the typed page he had been reading.

Stepping into the office, Scarlett looked around, her eyes falling on the opened closet door, Lifeline's red and white clad form standing in front of what appeared to be a wooden file cabinet. "Did you find something?" she asked, stepping towards her fellow Joe.

"Not sure. Looks like a lot of internal correspondence – memos, staff reports, requisitions..."

"We should probably get moving," the blue-eyed woman said. "Its almost time for us to rendezvous with the others."

The medic was just about to nod his head in assent when his eyes alighted on something on the page in his hand.

"What is it?" Scarlett asked as she stepped next to Lifeline, having noticed the intense scrutiny that the medic was currently giving the folder in his hand.

Intent, Edwin flipped through a few more pages in the folder.

"What do you have?" The red-head's eyes flicked to the pages in the folder.

"A memo to the staff about archiving patient files," the medic answered, looking from the folder to the woman next to him. "According to this, there's another storage area."

* * *

Down in the basement, Rebecca finally sighed and called out to the other two. "Strong, Gung Ho... c'mon... I don't think we're going to find anything, and we have to meet the others soon. We'd... better get going."

"You're the Boss Lady," Gung Ho said as he rose to his feet and resettled his laser rifle. The big Cajun was more than happy to leave off the search and get out of the basement if truth be told and he wasted no time heading towards the door.

Strong rose to her feet as well, and headed off after the Marine, glancing back at Rebecca to make sure the woman followed her. Strong noticed the hesitation in Rebecca's first few steps, and couldn't really blame her. Rebecca had pressed pretty hard to talk the higher-ups into letting them come check this place out, and it had to hurt knowing they would be going back empty-handed.

* * *

The trek back to the rendezvous point was a silent one. Strong really didn't have much to say, and Rebecca was lost amidst her own thoughts.

Scarlett, Lifeline and Hopper were milling around when Rebecca and the others made their appearance, their footfalls echoing slightly in the empty corridor.

Rebecca shoved away her looming depression and looked at the three as they approached. "Did you find anything?"

"Maybe," Edwin answered, stepping forward, several folded sheets of paper clutched in his hand. "I found a bunch of internal staff memos. According to one of them," the medic raised his hand slightly to indicate the pages in his hand "There's another storage area, one reserved exclusively for discharged patient files."

"But why wouldn't they have been upstairs, unless..." Rebecca trailed off, blinking. "They've gotta be there... if they're still in this building anywhere."

"It says something about a service corridor between the main complex and Building B, whatever that means."

"Probably down in the tunnel systems under the complex, then..."

"Tunnel systems?" Scarlett asked as she and Hopper joined the others.

Rebecca nodded. "All of the old asylums had tunnel systems linking the buildings. Most of the time they were used for pretty mundane stuff like laundry or food, letting the staff keep mostly out of sight. On the less savory end of things, they were used to cart out dead patients."

"And that's where these files are supposed to be?" the red-head asked, her gaze flicking to Lifeline.

The medic nodded his head. "According to this."

Scarlett glanced down at her watch. "There's only a few hours of light left."

"Then we'd better get moving now," Rebecca said, tone grim. "I don't want to waste more time than we have to, if there's still somewhere left to look."

"No offense Doctor, but so far this entire trip has been nothing but a big zero. Personally, I think we should just cut our loses now."

Rebecca shook her head. "Right now, if I have to go down there _alone_ , I will. If the records are down there, they shouldn't be hard to find. If they aren't, then all I've lost is daylight."

"I'm the one in charge of this operation, Doctor." Scarlett said. "Nobody is going anywhere without my say so."

A few steps behind Rebecca, Gung Ho watched the exchange between the two women with slight amusement. While the bald Marine was easily three times Scarlett's size, even he knew better than to argue with her.

It was Hopper who spoke next. "I think we oughta check. We haven't really lost anything if it comes up a bust, but what if there really is something useful in there?"

Strong nodded her agreement. "I think we should check too. I mean, we're supposed to do everything we can to help a teammate, right? The Big Guy's part of our unit. We wanna help him."

Scarlett looked at each one of the group in turn, a slight frown on her face as she did so. "C'mon Scarlett. What can hurt? " Lifeline asked. "Maybe all we'll find is an empty hallway, but at least we'll know we covered all the bases." His dark eyes on the red-head, he continued on. "Neither one of us – or even Gung Ho for that matter, might even be here today if it wasn't for Devil Dog. It's the least we can do."

If she had been wavering before, the medic's final words finally cinched it. Without Devil Dog's help, the Joes might never have been able to rescue Lifeline from Cobra's clutches and stop the terrorist group's plan to unleash the Umbrella-created T-Virus on the world. Her sapphire gaze snapping back to Rebecca, Scarlett nodded her titian head slightly. "Alright, we'll take a look." A chorus of relieved looks surrounded her. "One hour, that's it," she added to reinforce her position as head of the team.

"Thank you," Rebecca said, returning the small nod with one of her own.

Turning her eyes away from the younger woman, Scarlett looked at the others. "Alright, let's move out."


	8. Chapter Eight

Chapter Eight

 

The tunnels underneath Lakeview were damp, cold, and infested with spiders and other vermin. While the above building seemed devoid of life, the tunnels were teeming with it. Much to Rebecca's surprise, the tiny lights set into the ceiling every few feet were still glowing, albeit with a weak, occasionally flickering light. She assumed they were being powered by some emergency generator that just hadn't quite died yet. To either side of the light, lengths of pipe ran up and down the length of the tunnel, presumably plumbing or something similar. The smooth walls were covered with water stains, the concrete floor dotted here and there with puddles of water.

In spite of her earlier push to come down here, Rebecca couldn't quite shake the uneasy feeling that was sitting in the pit of her stomach as they walked along, their boots making dull sounds in the bare corridor. She suddenly wished Billy were there, and at the same time, glad he wasn't. She wondered, briefly, if he had ever seen these tunnels. Then she shook herself sharply from her thoughts as she realized the shadows were deepening as the main tunnel began to branch off into other corridors where there were no lights.

Lifeline's own thoughts were running down similar lanes as the team slowly made their way through the tunnel. Ever since they had entered the institution, the medic tried not to think about Billy having been a patient there and what he must have endured, assuming that he had been here at all. There was no credible information to confirm that Billy had been there, only the circumstantial links between the facility and Umbrella.

The seemingly long march came to a halt as the hall ended in a single door, marked with stenciled letters that read simply, "STORAGE." The door was slightly ajar, and the broken remains of a padlock could be seen on the floor, rusted away in a puddle. Rebecca fought the urge to sigh; if the water had somehow gotten into the room, then there was a good chance that even if they found Billy's files, they wouldn't be in any condition to be useful.

Stepping forward, Gung Ho moved to the matte gray steel door and pushed it open, the metal hinges squealing in protest. As the door was opened, the group was greeted by darkness, the interior of the room black as a starless night. More than one of them wrinkled their nose at the dank, moldy smell that crept out into the hallway towards them. Slipping a palm-sized mag-lite from the belt around her hips, Scarlett switched it on and pointed it into the room.

The room was mostly uninhabited, save for a few rats and a thick coating of spiderwebs that could be seen here and there. Rebecca shivered, retreating a step involuntarily at the sight, and bumping gently into Lifeline as she did. Nearby, Strong looked over at Hopper, who only gave her a calm look back. Reaching out, Lifeline put his hand on Rebecca's upper arm, both to steady her and reassure her, giving it a light squeeze. Flipping on his own flashlight, Gung Ho swung its pale beam into the room next to Scarlett's. "Looks like somethin' outta an old Dracula movie," the big man said as the light flicked over the dull metal of what appeared to be a filing cabinet.

Turning to regard the rest of the team, Scarlett's eyes swept over them. "One hour, people." Adjusting her laser rifle on her shoulder a bit, she stepped forward into the black maw of the room.

Exhaling a slow breath, Strong headed into the room, Hopper just a few steps behind her. The two were almost invisible in the darkness as they pulled out flashlights of their own. Rebecca glanced back at Lifeline and gave him a faint, shaky smile. "Sorry," She said softly, then headed for the door herself.

Gung Ho brought up the rear, following Lifeline into the dank room, pale columns of lights from the team's flashlights flicking around the interior like the beams from a strobe light. Spreading out inside the room, the group made their way towards the bank of dust and cobweb covered filing cabinets. In spite of the smell of mold and water, Rebecca was astonished to find that the papers inside the filing cabinets were dry. There were the faded remnants of labels on each drawer, but they were so faded by time and moisture, they were almost impossible to read. Once again, Rebecca was struck numb by the state of decay the whole complex seemed to be in. Had they really kept patients here, in such a run-down place? Hopper and Strong were having similar thoughts as they each searched through one drawer after another, before Strong finally called out, "I think I found it!" There was a note of triumph in her tone.

Almost as one, the myriad of flashlight beams swung to the young Sergeant's location as the rest of the team moved towards her. Strong held up the folder in her hand, trying to block some of the glare with it. "Uh, little less light, please?" Several of the lights dropped down towards the floor as Scarlett, Lifeline, Rebecca and the others gathered around her. Strong stood from where she had been kneeling down, holding the folder out to Rebecca. "Here, Doc," she said. "Why don't you do the honors?"

Rebecca took the folder and gave a brief, faint smile of thanks before opening it. She gasped as her eyes fell on a familiar photograph, and a set of stats she knew at least as well as her own. Moving up behind Rebecca, Lifeline glanced over the young woman's shoulder, looking down at the file in her hands. "B-Billy..." The whispered name escaped his lips before he realized it.

Her blue eyes on the civilian doctor, Scarlett watched the play of emotions that flickered over Rebecca's face. "What is it, Doctor?"

Rebecca didn't reply right away, flipping back the first page to reveal the second, and then the third, her eyes widening with each line she read. Several of them were recommended treatments, from different kinds of drug cocktails to recommended treatments in the facility's deprivation tanks. Many of the hand-written notes were difficult to read, smudged by hasty hands or by the wear and tear of time. Pointing to the list of "attempted treatments" she looked up at Lifeline and asked, "What do you make of that?"

Raising his flashlight a bit, Edwin's dark eyes flicked over the page, a faint frown on his face as he read. "Good God..." the words were whispered out as he raised his eyes from the folder in Rebecca's hand and looked at her upturned face.

"Lifeline?" Scarlett's voice prodded at the medic. "What is it?"

The medic turned his gaze towards the red-headed woman. "Bil...Devil Dog was here."

"And?"

Lifeline's eyes glanced back down at the folder before looking back at Scarlett. "It's kind of vague, but it looks like he was used as a subject in at least one of the studies that Lakeview was doing for the Umbrella Corporation."

"It's not much," Rebecca said, flipping and glancing at the next few pages. "But it proves he was here, and it means he's in Umbrella's computer banks somewhere..."

Scarlett looked at Rebecca for a moment before turning her attention to the rest of the group. "We got what we came for. Time to move out."

Rebecca closed the file and tucked it back in the small pack she was carrying, wanting a chance to look it over later in better lighting. Hopper and Strong both swung their lights back toward the doorway, and started heading for it, clearly relieved that they would be able to go topside again. Gung Ho and Scarlett where only a few steps behind the two younger soldiers, the big Cajun brushing cobwebs from his broad shoulders as they moved towards the doorway. Standing next to Rebecca, the medic reached out and lightly touched her shoulder, as he swung his flashlight towards the retreating lights of the others. "C'mon. The sooner we get back to the Tomahawk the sooner we can start in on the file."

"Right," Rebecca said, starting to walk toward the door as well, when a soft sound gave her pause. She reached out, touching Lifeline's arm lightly to stop him, listening intently. "I heard something move," She hissed, very low.

"Probably just a rat or something. I wouldn't be surprised." Edwin said, non-plussed. "C'mon they're waiting for us."

"If you say so," Rebecca said, her hand dropping away as she headed toward the door again.

Falling into step behind the young woman, Lifeline didn't even give it a second thought, just as grateful as the rest to be leaving the dark, tomb-like room. As they passed into the corridor, there was the sound of something heavy hitting the floor, and the sudden sound of skittering. Rebecca's eyes widened at the sound and she spun on her heel, one hand dropping to her gun, as she backed out of the room. "What th' hell?" Gung Ho's head swung back towards the darkened doorway.

Scarlett's laser rifle instantly slid from her shoulder and into her hands, the red-head raising the muzzle of the weapon up and training it back inside the room.. "Move it! Now!" she barked, her sapphire gaze never wavering from the darkened maw as she started to move backwards.

As they watched, a dark mass moved slowly into the dim lighting, revealing first one leg, then two, then four and Rebecca swore loudly. "Go, go!" She cried out, gesturing back in the direction they had come before.

Strong and Hopper could only stare in mute shock as a massive spider moved into the tunnel. The arachnid was easily the size of a small horse, and quick, as it started skittering toward them. The unmistakable sound of laser fire filled the tunnel as Gung Ho brought his rifle up and opened fire on the creature. "Rebecca!" Lifeline reached out for the young woman's arm before turning towards Strong and Hopper.

At the sound of her name, Rebecca turned, immediately moving into a sprint that carried her past Lifeline, and toward the two members of Billy's unit as they overcame their shock and began to run. "Be careful!" She cried out. "There may be more of them!"

Gung Ho's fire was soon joined by that of Scarlett, the fiery-haired Joe pumping out short blasts at the spider as she quickly retreated down the tunnel, the big Cajun at her side. Rebecca didn't stop moving, catching a slight shift in the shadows from another of the corridors that branched off from theirs, and had no time to call out as another spider moved into the tunnel. Strong, at the front of the group, shrieked and brought up her shotgun, squeezing off a shot as the spider reared up. Strong yelped again as a strong arm wrapped around her waist, and Hopper hauled her back out of the reach of the creature. "Shit!" he called out, "Be careful, girl!"

Behind the others, Scarlett and Gung Ho continued raining fire on the first spider. Hearing the cry from the front of the group, neither could spare so much as a glance as they squeezed off bursts, the bright red lasers leaving smoking holes in creature's hairy hide. Maddened by the pain being inflicted upon it, the spider reared up, it's front legs waving in the air. The Joes could clearly see it's gaping maw, the creature's mandibles clicking together in agitation. With a blood-freezing screech, the creature lunged at Scarlett and Gung Ho just as a glob of milky fluid shot from it's mouth. "Gung Ho!" Scarlett had just enough time to cry out a warning to the big Marine before throwing herself to the side to avoid the viscous-looking glob that landed on the floor of the tunnel only a few feet where she had been standing.

Rolling, the titian-haired Joe was on her feet almost immediately, her dark blue eyes flicking over to where Gung Ho had been. The bald man had apparently managed to dodge as well, a disgusted look on his face as he looked at the spider which was still coming towards them. "Man, where's a giant can of Raid when you need one."

"Thanks," Strong said softly, as Hopper set her down, and then she cried out again as Hopper went suddenly stiff, his eyes widening in surprise and shock just moments before he collapsed to the ground, a smoking hole in the back of his fatigues. Strong scrambled backwards, nearly knocking Rebecca over in the process, watching in horror as the spider rushed over to the downed man, and began to quickly wrap him in a thick and sticky looking webbing "HOPPER!" She cried out, abandoning her shotgun for her pistol, trying to get in a decent shot to make the spider release her teammate.

Lifeline's voice mirrored that of Kenya Strong, the medic watching horrified as the pilot's big body was quickly encased in a cocoon of milky white strands. Sparing a glance over her shoulder, Scarlett's blue eyes widened as she saw Hopper fall, the spider swarming over his prone form. Swearing, the red-head turned back around to face the creature in front of her once again. Raising her rifle, she trained it on the thing's head before firing off two quick staccato bursts, the red arcs of laser burning into one of the spider's eyes. The wound Scarlett inflicted seemed to do the trick. The spider let off another unearthly screech, before retreating into the darkness of the file storage room again, leaving only the creature attacking Hopper. Strong's hand came up, and she fired her pistol twice. The first shot went wide, the second sinking into one of the spider's legs. The thing shrieked in response, and began to rapidly retreat, dragging Hopper behind it like a child's rag doll. The pilot didn't so much as struggle or cry out as spider, webbing, and man, all disappeared around a corner. "HOPPER!" Strong screamed again, jamming her pistol back into her belt, scooping up her shotgun, and preparing to head after them.

Only Rebecca's tight grip on her back kept her from getting far. "Let go of me!" Strong cried, trying to struggle loose. Rebecca didn't loosen her grip at all, and once a few moments passed, Strong looked back at her, eyes a mix of fear and fury. Rebecca met that gaze with a pained one of her own.

With Gung Ho covering them from the rear, Scarlett and the big Marine hastily scrambled towards the others, the blue-eyed Joe managing to squeeze off a couple of shots at the retreating spider dragging Hopper's bound form. Unfortunately her shots went wide, striking the side of the tunnel as the creature disappeared.

"We have to go after it," Lifeline said without preamble as Scarlett and Gung Ho joined them. The Cajun had his back to the others, his rifle up and ready as he swung his gaze from one end of the tunnel to the other.

"All of us together, if we go at all," Rebecca said softly, looking to Scarlett for her call on the matter.

Her dark gaze traveling from one face to the other, the red-head shook her head. "We're out of here."

"But—" Strong started to say.

Rebecca cut her off. "Kenya, those things are going to be all over the place. We've gotta move, and now, before the rest of them come to see about finding an easy meal. "

Even as they spoke, the sound of things moving in the tunnels could be heard, the corridors filling with inhuman screeching and Rebecca shivered.

"Our orders were to get the hell out at the first sign of trouble." Scarlett's gaze shifted to Strong. "We get back to the chopper and radio in for some back up. Now let's stay together, be ready and move out," she continued as she adjusted her hold on her rifle. "Gung Ho, take the point. I've got the rear."

"You got it," the bald man said before moving in front of the others, his finger on the trigger of his rifle as he looked around, trying to peer into the shadows that surrounded him.

Strong stiffened, and then her shoulders sagged; orders were orders, after all, and she knew Scarlett was right. She gripped her shotgun tightly and fell into place behind Gung Ho. Rebecca fell in behind Strong, silent and feeling the first tell-tale grip of guilt settling in on her. Lifeline was silent as he followed Rebecca, the medic feeling a bit numbed by what had happened. With a grim set to her mouth, Scarlett brought up the rear, her sapphire gaze sweeping the shadowed recesses of the tunnel as the skittering sounds around them continued.

The skittering grew louder, until all at once, a screeching sound burst from the tunnel ahead of them in a flurry of spiders, some the size of small cats, to others the size of very large dogs. They scurried along the walls, the ceiling, and the floor. They ran over the lights, making them flicker and flash. "Back up...back up!" Rebecca said. "Don't let them close us in!"

Without hesitation, the group hurried backwards, retracing their steps in a scramble. As soon as the first of the creatures appeared, Gung Ho wasted no time in opening fire on them, his laser rifle burning holes in the wiry haired hides of the creatures as he swept the muzzle of the weapon from side to side, but still the spiders scuttled towards them. "This way!" Rebecca hissed, pointing to a side corridor that wasn't dark.

Her eyes going to the ceiling of the tunnel, Scarlett raised her weapon as she watched the spiders that scurried above them. "Go!" Scarlett yelled just as one of the spiders dropped from the ceiling towards them. Squeezing the trigger of her rifle, the woman shot off a burst that blasted off two of the creature's legs and a good chunk of it's side before it hit the floor several yards away with a wet thud.

Following Scarlett's orders, Lifeline herded Rebecca and Strong down the corridor, the words "Yo Joe" bellowing out behind them in Gung Ho's deep voice as another rain of laser fire echoed in the main tunnel. The new tunnel was blessedly clear of the spiders, although they were still being followed, and Rebecca's eyes shot this way and that, trying to find some safe place to go, her stomach sinking. Darting into the tunnel a few moments after Lifeline and the others, Scarlett and Gung Ho ran, twisting around after few moments to take shots at the spiders that were pursuing them; yet for every one of the creatures that they managed to hit and stop, three more would spill into the tunnel, the floor and walls disappearing under a sea of dark furred bodies.

As they passed under an archway, Gung Ho's eyes glanced up at the ceiling above them looking for spiders when a thought hit him. Raising his rifle, he aimed it at the middle of the archway and fired. Seconds later, large chunks of mortar and cement broke free and rained down on the floor below, crushing several of the scuttling dark forms and blocking the path of the rest. A shrieking went up from behind the rubble, but none could be heard in the tunnel they were in now, and so they were all afforded a chance to relax just a little and breathe. "Is...is everyone okay?" Rebecca said, just loud enough to be heard.

Lifeline had his hand to his chest as he gulped for air. "Yeah..." he managed to get out before looking at the others, his dark eyes settling on Kenya Strong. Strong said nothing, remaining just a little removed from the group, listening intently but staying silent.

"Good move," Scarlett said approvingly to Gung Ho as she and the Marine caught up with the others.

"So what's the plan now?" Gung Ho asked after a few quiet minutes, his finger still on the trigger of his rifle, the muzzle of which was now pointed up at the ceiling.

Shifting her rifle to her other hand, Scarlett reached and retrieved the map that Mainframe had provided for them. Shaking out the folded page, she looked at for a few moments before swearing softly.

"What is it?" Rebecca asked, pushing aside her own fright and threatening numbness as she moved closer to Gung Ho and Scarlett.

"There aren't any tunnels marked on this map." The red-head replied grimly as she looked up at the others.

"Well, we can't go back the way we came...so I would think forward is our only option. These tunnels all have to let out somewhere."

The expression on Scarlett's face was grim as she regarded the remaining members of the team. "We'll take a breather here for a few minutes," she said. "Nobody wander off. I want us to stay within visual range of one another." Her eyes flicked to each of the others as she spoke, as if to emphasis her point. "Stay alert."

There were curt nods all around as those assembled found places to lean or sit. Strong remained removed but in sight, Rebecca remaining near Lifeline as she lapsed into silence herself. Shrugging his med kit from his shoulders, Edwin set it down and opened it and retrieved a small canteen of water. Rising back to his feet, the medic moved towards Kenya. "Sergeant?" he said as he approached her, the canteen in his hand. The young woman's eyes flicked over to Lifeline, but she remained silent. As he reached her side, Lifeline held out the canteen, offering it to the young woman. There was a moment of hesitation, before Strong took the canteen. "Thanks," she said quietly. The medic nodded his head with a faint smile.

Strong took a small sip of the canteen, then capped it again and looked up at him, her gaze was lost. Reaching out, Lifeline gave Kenya's upper arm a slight squeeze. There was a faint smile on the young woman's lips before she looked away, handing the canteen back. Edwin took the canteen from the young woman, his dark eyes on her for a few moments before he made his way back to where Rebecca and his med kit were. Rebecca was checking over her own pistol methodically, looking up from her work as Edwin reached her again.

Scarlett watched the silent exchange between Lifeline and Strong. Judging from the younger woman's movements, Scarlett could guess that she was bordering on the edge of shock. Truth be told, the red-head guessed that they all were to some extent. It had been quite some time since the Joes had lost one of their own, and even though Hopper had not yet become a full-fledged member, his loss would be felt by everyone just as keenly.

The one who would feel it most however, was Scarlett herself. While she couldn't allow herself to grieve for the soldier that had fallen under her command due to their present circumstances, there would be time enough to shed tears for him once they had found their way out of the tunnels beneath Lakeview and back to Joe Headquarters.

Kneeling down on his haunches, the medic replaced the canteen and closed the med kit. Looking up at Rebecca, Lifeline's dark eyes caught a shadow on the wall behind the woman – a shadow that seemed to be moving downward. "Rebecca!" Jumping to his feet, the medic launched himself at the young woman, wrapping his arms around her slender frame and rolling the two of them to the side just as a spider the size of a Saint Bernard sprang from the shadowed ceiling of the tunnel to land within a few feet of where Rebecca had been sitting.

At Edwin's shout, Gung Ho spun on his heel and lifted his laser rifle, his finger pumping the trigger in short, staccato blasts that burned holes in the creatures wiry hide. The big Cajun had only just popped off a few shots when Scarlett's rifle joined his, the two of them focusing their weapons on the spider's head, particularly it's eyes.

Rebecca barely had time to cry out before she and Edwin were moving, and her eyes widened when she saw the spider, a shudder running through her. Strong was on her feet in moments, shotgun in hand, pumping shot after shot at the spider's head as well, hoping the shotgun might have the kick that the laser rifles didn't.

Enraged by pain, the spider reared up, it's front legs weaving in the air as it's mandibles clicked together. One of Scarlett's shots had blinded an eye, while several of Gung Ho's had managed to burn away a large swatch of hide, a sickly bright green ooze dripping down to the floor of the tunnel to pool around the spider's legs from the wound. Letting out a screeching wail, the creature suddenly spun around towards Lifeline and Rebecca, the two still huddled off to the side.

Rebecca gasped, her eyes wide. Then she gave herself a visible mental shake, raised her gun, and fired off several shots from a pistol that looked remarkably like the Magnum Billy had given Edwin to carry. The gun's retort was deafeningly loud in the room as the bullets tore into the spider. _Die, will you!_ she thought frantically.

Rearing up in pain once again, the creature's entire body seemed to quake before a final shot from Kenya Strong's shotgun sent it crashing to the ground, it's long legs twitching feebly for several moments before stilling. "And stay down, you no good son of a bitch," Strong snarled, tears standing in her eyes as she watched the spider's corpse.

Rebecca let her gun drop wearily. "Ugh...and to think Billy uses this thing one-handed..." She muttered, mostly to herself.

"Are you okay?" Lifeline asked Rebecca as he started to rise to his feet.

"I think so," Rebecca replied, standing herself. "Thanks. . ."

The medic gave the young woman a small smile before moving over to retrieve his med kit, stepping warily around the body of the spider. Her finger still on the trigger of her laser rifle, its muzzle now pointed at the floor of the tunnel, Scarlett stepped over towards Strong. "Good shooting, Soldier," she said giving the younger woman a nod. Strong favored Scarlett with a wan smile, and lowered her own shotgun from where it had been trained on the spider. Rebecca switched the safety of her gun back on, and slipped it into its holster, sighing softly.

"Man, I ain't never gonna be able to watch _Charlotte's Web_ again," Gung Ho intoned as he approached the motionless creature, a look of obvious distaste on his mustachioed face.

"Breaks over." Scarlett said, her voice echoing slightly in the dimly lit tunnel. There were no arguments from any of the others assembled. Immediately falling back into formation, the group started down the tunnel, alert and wary.


	9. Chapter Nine

Chapter Nine

 

Signaling a halt, Scarlett stepped forward and shinned the beam of her flashlight in the mouth of yet another tunnel several feet ahead. The team had been wandering around in the dimly lit corridors underneath the Lakeview Institution for several hours. While the group had been trying to maintain a steady direction in the hope of reaching one of the facility's buildings outlined on the map, they had yet to find a way out of the underground maze.

The mag-lite's normally bright beam seemed feeble as it shone down the shadowed tunnel, only a few of the overhead lights glowing to illuminate the plain concrete of it's walls. Scarlett took a few steps forward, the flashlight glancing off the ceiling before pointing back down the tunnel. Not too long after their escape from the spiders near the storage area, the group had found themselves confronted by several monstrous sized rats after having entered a diverging tunnel. The creatures had easily dwarfed even Gung Ho, as they surged around the Joes, lunging in to snap at the humans with teeth that probably could have easily bitten one of them in half.

They were apparently smarter than the spiders, however, dispersing after several well-placed shots of laser, shotgun and Magnum fire. Like the arachnids before them, the rodents had also bled a bright green, almost luminescent looking ooze from the wounds that the team had inflicted on them. As the group made a mad dash down the tunnel, they could hear the creatures scuttling after them, the scrap of razor sharp claws on the dank cement of the tunnel floor while chattering in a high-pitched squeal. Once again, Gung Ho had literally "brought the house down" by blasting away part of the ceiling, sealing off the rats' pursuit.

"Whatcha got?" Gung Ho asked Scarlett as he joined her, peering down the corridor.

"Just checking for surprises." The red-head replied grimly. The tunnel where they now stood seemed to come to an abrupt end, leaving this new corridor to their right as their only option.

"I should have brought a compass," Rebecca said, shaking her head as she looked down the tunnel. "But... if there aren't any more branches, then maybe it means we're near an exit."

Scarlett nodded her head, her blue eyes still focused down the tunnel. "Let's break for five first," she said as she flicked off the flashlight. "But keep your eyes and ears open," she instructed as she reattached the light to her belt. "If it's not walking on two legs, shoot it."

Rebecca gladly slipped her Magnum away, sighing softly as she looked around for somewhere to sit. Strong moved a little away from the group, careful to remain in sight as she knelt down and let her gaze travel down the long, dark corridor. Gung Ho took up post towards the back of the group, his dark gaze on the way they had just come, alert for signs of movement. Squatting down, Lifeline slid his medkit from his back and stretched his shoulders a bit before looking down at the white shelled kit. During the attack by the rats, the medic had taken the kit from his shoulders and swiped at several of the rodents with it, using it to hold the creatures back while the others fired their weapons at it. There were a few dents in the case, but otherwise it looked fairly well intact. "That's a pretty durable medkit," Rebecca commented, looking at it with a critical eye. "They should've given the S.T.A.R.S. something like this..."

"It's designed to hold up under combat." Edwin replied as he slipped it back on, adjusting it a bit on his shoulders until it felt comfortable.

"No kidding. Something like that would've been nice back then."

The medic smiled a bit. "It saved my life a couple of times. It caught the bullets instead of me."

While the others talked or sat quietly, Scarlett tried once again to get a signal on her comm link. After their run-in with the spiders, all the Joes had tried, unsuccessfully, to communicate with Joe headquarters. It was Strong who suggested that the tunnels might be shielded in some way that blocked their signal since the comm links had worked before entering Lakeview, when Scarlett had called in to relay their safe arrival at the facility. Making a frustrated sound, the red-head dropped her hand and readjusted her grip on her rifle. "Still nothin', huh?" Strong asked her, hearing the frustrated sound.

"Dead as the proverbial door nail," Scarlett replied. "Where's Dial Tone when I need him?"

"Maybe it'll get better once we're out of the tunnels."

"I hope so," the older woman said as she looked down at Strong for a moment before turning her eyes back to the waiting tunnel. "Alright, let's saddle up," she said as she moved towards the mouth of the tunnel.

Gung Ho brought up the rear, while Scarlett took point, the others sandwiched between the two. Adjusting her grip on her rifle once again, the flame-haired Joe stepped into the tunnel. Strong was right behind her, Rebecca behind Strong. The tunnel didn't branch off as they walked, seeming to stretch on into eternity and back. The walls around here were more and more solid concrete now, not the concrete blocks they had seen before. As the group walked, Lifeline couldn't help but get the feeling that they were moving downward, despite there being no obvious slopes that would indicate so. Also, the medic found his ears popping every once in a while, something that only happened at either high elevations or lower ones. "Where do you think we're headed?" Rebecca murmured quietly.

"Depths of hell, maybe?" Strong replied dryly.

"I'm with you, lady." Gung Ho intoned from the rear.

Despite the change in the make up of the tunnel, the group also found itself wading through more puddles of water, fed by small trickling streams that dribbled down the walls. "I think we must be close to water," Edwin remarked. "And deeper underground than before too. My ears keep popping."

"We've got to be getting close to an exit, though," Strong said quietly. "But I think it's safe to say that we're probably not gonna be getting out near the asylum."

"If we're lucky, it may just lead to a morgue or something," Rebecca replied. "They were sometimes kept a pretty good distance from the main facilities."

"You call that a good sign?" Strong asked, clearly incredulous.

"There are worse things."

Strong didn't reply to that, just nodding in miserable agreement. The group traveled in silence for about another hundred yards before they were brought up short, the tunnel coming to an abrupt end in front of a reinforced-looking steel door bearing a red and white pinwheel shape outlined in black. Rebecca's expression darkened, and she stepped forward to get a better look at the logo in the dim light. "...Umbrella."

Scarlett glanced at the younger woman, the red-head having stepped forward as well to make a better assessment of the door. "What does it mean?"

"It means that Umbrella definitely had dealings with Lakeview, and most likely that not all of them were meant for public knowledge..." Rebecca's voice was soft. "But whether it just leads into a storage area or a lab, I haven't got a clue."

Scarlett sighed softly, her blue eyes returning to the door blocking their way. The Joe wasn't too keen on the idea of opening it, half afraid of what they might find on the other side in light of what had been loose in the tunnels beneath the asylum. Turning away, she looked back at the remaining members of the team, her gaze settling on each one in turn before focuses on the way they had just come. "Doesn't seem like we have much choice but to go forward. We can't go back the way we came," Scarlett said at length, her lips thinned into a line as she spoke. Her sapphire gaze snapped back to Rebecca. "What if it is a lab of some kind? What are we likely to find?"

"It would depend on what they were doing here," Rebecca said. "But if it's like most of the labs I've been in or heard about, we're likely to find zombies, possibly more mutated creatures. However, if it's a lab and it's been abandoned as long as Lakeview has, I doubt there'll be much of anything left alive. They may look undead, but they still have to eat."

A visible shudder ran through Gung Ho as he listened. There wasn't much that the big Cajun was afraid of, but what he had seen beneath Lakeview so far had been enough to shake even him. "What if there's no way out?" Lifeline asked, unaware that he had spoken his thoughts aloud until he heard his own voice.

"From what the Big Guy says, that's not like Umbrella," Strong said.

Rebecca nodded in agreement. "He's right. I have yet to find an Umbrella facility that didn't have some kind of emergency escape."

Scarlett seemed to weigh the issue for a several minutes before once again fixing her sapphire gaze on those around her. "It's not like we have another choice," she said, the look on her face grim. "All we can do is stay together, stay alert and pray that if there was anything loose in there that it's dead now." Shouldering her rifle, the flame-haired woman dug into one of the pouches attached to the belt around her slim waist. "Gung Ho, give me hand. Looks like we're going to have to blow the door."

With a nod, the bald man moved forward next to Scarlett as he settled the strap of his riffle on his broad soldier. Rebecca and Strong both backed up several paces, watching the two silently. Lifeline took a few moments to adjust the straps on his med kit, settling it a bit more comfortably on his shoulders before joining the two women as they waited for Scarlett and Gung Ho to finish setting the explosive on the door. Seemingly satisfied with their handiwork, Scarlett stepped back from the door, waving the others back several yards while Gung Ho reeled out a length of fuse wire from a small spool, until he joined the others. Handing the roll to Scarlett, the red-head then attached it to a trigger switch. Once everything was set, she turned her cobalt gaze on the others. "Once that door blows, I want every weapon trained on it. Anything, and I mean _anything_ moves, open fire."

Rebecca's Magnum was already in her hand, and Strong was nodding, double checking her shotgun again. "We're ready when you are," Strong said.

"Lifeline, stay with Doctor Chambers," Scarlett instructed, her eyes on the medic for a few moments before turning away. "On the count of three... "

Rebecca tensed, exhaling a slow breath, resisting the urge to wipe her palm on her pant leg as she brought the heavy gun up again. Next to her, Strong adjusted her grip on the shotgun, swallowing hard. "One... two... three..." The word had just barely passed Scarlett's lips before she tripped the trigger, the blast following within seconds and echoing in the tunnel as the door was blown from it's hinges, sliding to the side with a definite thunk.

As the smoke and dust cleared, the sharp, loud sounds of an alarm could be heard dimly as bright fluorescent light spilled into the corridor. Rebecca's ears were still ringing, her eyes and gun trained on the doorway. But there was nothing there. Strong frowned; that didn't make any sense. There were so few lights, there shouldn't have been enough power left to sound an alarm, much less run the lights.

Their weapons also on the doorway, Scarlett and Gung Ho were motionless, their trained eyes looking for any sign of movement in the haze from the explosion. From his position next to Rebecca, Lifeline squinted a bit from behind the lenses of his glasses as he too waited to see if anything would emerge. It was several long minutes before Scarlett signaled Gung Ho with a slight wave of her gloved hand, the big Cajun cautiously moving forward towards the blasted doorway, his laser rifle up and his finger on the trigger.

There wasn't much to see. The tunnel opened up into a wide hallway that branched to the left and right. To their right, the corridor seemed to lead off into a wall of doors. To the left, it was more difficult to tell. Somewhere down that path, a fluorescent light sputtered and flickered. As he glanced inside, the big Marine wrinkled his nose, an almost rank smell starting to waft out towards him. Without turning his eyes away, he motioned towards the others with his free hand. Strong stepped forward before Rebecca could, keeping her body between the doorway and the two medics. Rebecca lowered her Magnum slowly, and walked after Strong, feeling the hairs on the back of her neck starting to stand up. Edwin followed Rebecca, the Joe medic moving on silent feet as he followed the two women towards the blasted doorway. Falling into place behind Lifeline, Scarlett brought up the rear, the red-head's gun still up and ready as the small group joined Gung Ho. "So which way do we go?" Strong asked once they were all standing inside.

"I say right," Rebecca said. "The light's better that way, and I don't know about you but I want good visibility if we get attacked again."

"God, what's that smell?" Gung Ho said, resisting the urge to bring his hand up to cover his nose and mouth.

"It smells like rot, like something left to decompose," Edwin answered, the smell causing his stomach to roil.

"Which means that whatever it was is dead," Scarlett observed. "Which is good news for us." Her eyes flicked down the two corridors that lay before them. "We'll take Doctor Chamber's suggestion and try the right corridor. Gung Ho, you take the point. Strong, you and the doctor next, then Lifeline. Weapons up, eyes and ears open."

"Just be careful," Rebecca warned as they all fell into line.

The hallway turned out to house a row of four office doors, the shorter corridor broken on the left side by a single door, marked CAFETERIA in bold white letters. "Don't think I wanna know what's on the menu in there," Gung Ho said as he noticed the sign.

"Amen to that," Strong replied, making a face.

Rebecca, meanwhile, was making her way silently toward one of the office doors. The door was slightly ajar, a soft sound emanating from it every few moments. Noticing as Rebecca stepped away from the rest of the group, Lifeline followed her. In addition to agreeing to carry Billy's gun, he had also promised the Marine that he would watch out for the former S.T.A.R.S. agent as well; and so he had tried to stay by her side as much as possible. As she neared the door, she held out an arm, motioning for Edwin to remain where he was as she carefully eased the door open with her boot. The sound within ceased, and Rebecca held her breath. "Doctor..." Scarlett started as she finally noticed that Rebecca had moved around from them.

Rebecca didn't look back, barely daring to breathe, as the door swung open. Her gun lowered when the culprit was nothing more than a small mouse, making a nest in some papers littering the top of the desk within. She shook her head as she caught up with the group again.

"Let's get moving people," Scarlett's voice intoned as the team once again fell into formation and started heading down the corridor.

Their steps clicked on the tiles as they walked, the alarm around them starting to go off again. "Thing's gotta be on a timer or something..." Rebecca said, shaking her head.

"Damn annoyin' is what it is," Gung Ho grumbled as he led the group down the hallway.

"Must be some kind of generator down here," Edwin observed. "We must have kicked on some kind of safety or fail safe when the door blew."

"Maybe both," Rebecca said with a slight nod. "Let's just hope there wasn't a self-distruct involved."

"Self-destruct?" Scarlett asked from her position at the rear of their small column.

"Both the Training Facility and the Spencer Mansion had one," Rebecca replied, looking back at Scarlett briefly. "But they're usually pretty blatant about telling you when it's been activated."

"How nice," the red head said dryly.

The end of the corridor opened up into a relatively large open space. Off to the left was a large, wood door. It was stained a dark, almost blood red, and had an almost garish brass handle. Rebecca shook her head; the place was starting to hold some of the touches of a typical Umbrella facility after all. "Okay?" Edwin asked as he lightly placed his hand on the young woman's shoulder from behind.

"I will be," Rebecca replied softly. "Once I get topside."

"I think all of us will." The medic said as his hand slipped away.

"Whadda ya think, Scarlett?" Gung Ho asked as he nodded towards the red door.

"Doctor?" The red head asked, moving up near Rebecca. "You've been in these Umbrella facilities before, what's your opinion?"

"I think that a door like that's going to lead to a place we can find some information if nothing else," Rebecca replied. "It's also likely to have traps."

"My priority isn't information at this point Doctor, it's getting us out of here alive."

"And I suppose you can conjure us a map of this place out of thin air?" Rebecca snapped. "We _need_ information, Scarlett. I won't have the faintest clue what we might find without it."

Scarlett's features tightened as she looked at Rebecca. "You're the Umbrella expert, or so I was told. I suppose we'll have to rely on your judgment."

Rebecca stiffened at that, but said nothing more, heading for the door. Her grip on the Magnum was white-knuckled and her lips were drawn in a hard line. Gung Ho watched as Rebecca passed him, the big Cajun's eyebrows rising slightly before turning to look at Scarlett questioningly. "Follow Doctor Chambers' lead," the redhead said without preamble, adjusting her laser rifle before motioning for the others to move.

Strong shook her head slightly, and followed along. The tension building between Scarlett and Rebecca was hitting an almost tangible level, and she wondered briefly what would happen if one or the other snapped. Then she decided she really didn't want to know, as they reached the door and Rebecca tried the knob. It was stiff, but not impossible to open, and Rebecca pushed the door open, letting it swing on silent hinges. The interior of the office was as plush as the door had hinted, giving the room an aggressive, claustrophobic air. Rebecca didn't even glance at the bookshelves or the expensive-looking paintings as she made a beeline for the desk. She didn't know what she was looking for, specifically, but was hoping to find a map, or even just a memo telling her what the facility was.

From their positions on either side of the door, Gung Ho and Scarlett glanced inside, their weapons up and ready as they watched Rebecca move about the room. Rebecca didn't acknowledge them, or even seem to notice the others anymore as she began flipping quickly through the papers on the desk, and then proceeded to start rifling through each of the desk's drawers, one by one. After a few moments Gung Ho moved into the room, the big Cajun's trained eye taking in everything with just a glance. As his large frame moved out of the doorway, Scarlett and the others filterrd in behind him, with Kenya Strong hanging back a bit to keep an eye on the hallway. Passing Scarlett, Lifeline stepped towards Rebecca. "What are you looking for?" He asked as he joined her at the desk.

"Anything," she replied shortly, then paused a moment and took a deep breath. "... Sorry. I'm looking for anything that might help us out. Memos, a map, directions to an armory, or an emergency exit. _Anything_." With a nod of his head, the medic turned away and scanned around the room, his dark gaze falling on a pair of file cabinets in the corner. Without a word, he made his way towards them. Pulling on the handle of one of the filing cabinets, Lifeline was surprised to find it unlocked and he slid it out, his eyes flicking over the various labeled tabs.

"Somebody had some fancy digs." Gung Ho observed to no one in particular as he looked around the plush office.

"Probably belonged to whoever was in charge." Scarlett said as she scanned a small bookshelf against one of the walls, the volumes on the wooden shelves were mostly medical and psychological texts judging by the titles. Mixed in with the labeled books however, were what looked like binders of some kind, their various colored spines unlabeled.

"I can almost guarantee it," Rebecca agreed. "Umbrella treats its top tiers very well... or at least, it did."

"Probably hush money," Scarlett said, her tone taking on a slightly bitter tone. "A pay-off to keep them quiet so no one ever finds out just what they're really doing."

"C'mon Scarlett, You think a cushy office and a nice paycheck are gonna keep somebody quiet?"

The flame-haired Joe looked up for the bookshelf and turned towards her teammate. "You'd be surprised just what money can buy, Gung Ho."

"And that's assuming whoever used this office was sane to begin with," Rebecca said, looking up herself. "What happened to Devil Dog and me during that incident six years ago wasn't an accident. Marcus was insane."

"Anybody who goes around wantin' to play Doctor Frankenstein ain't exactly all there to begin with," Gung Ho said with a snort.

Strong shook her head. "World's full of fuckin' loonies," she grumbled, keeping watch near the door.

"Ain't that the truth?" the big Marine rumbled in agreement as he strolled over towards Lifeline who was still flipping through the files in the cabinet.

Rebecca finished up her search of the desk, and sighed when she came up empty-handed. "Well, there's nothing in the desk that I can find," She said. "How about the rest of you?"

"Doesn't look like much over here," Scarlett replied. "A bunch of reference books from the look of things and maybe some notebooks."

"Nothing that jumps out at me," Lifeline said, having switched to another drawer in the file cabinet. "Looks like a bunch of supply requisitions, delivery tickets... pretty mundane stuff so far."

"Well, then I'd say we don't have much choice but to head down to the next level, and keep looking for a clue or a way out."

"Let's get moving, then," Scarlett said as she started back towards the door, expecting the others to follow her.

With a sigh, Edwin slid the drawer closed with a bit more force than he had intended so that it banged against the frame of the cabinet. The sound made Strong jump and her gaze snapped back to the medic. She regarded him for a few moments, before stepping out of the office. Rebecca's heart was in her throat, but she calmed and headed after Scarlett. Turning, Lifeline met Strong's gaze, the medic coloring faintly as he dropped his eyes down to the floor and moved towards the doors. _This place is even rattlin' Lifeline,_ Gung Ho thought to himself as the red and white clad Joe passed him. _Can't say as I blame him._ Adjusting his hold on his laser rifle, the big Cajun fell into step behind the medic.

* * *

The stairs only led one direction, and so the small party headed downwards. The new room was large, and seemed lined on all sides with doors. Some were labeled, others not. But Rebecca recognized a nurse's station when she saw one, and was starting to make her way toward it when a quiet sound reached her ears, only reaching her because of a lull in the alarm again. Trailing in a line behind Rebecca, the rest of the team glanced about, grateful when the headache inducing klaxon ceased, even though they knew that it was probably only temporary.

"We oughta try to find some way to shut that off," Strong said. "I don't like not bein' able to hear anything when it goes off."

"It's probably controlled from a central system," Scarlett said. "More than likely, we'd have to find that to shut it down."

"Maybe not," Gung Ho said, as he raised his rifle and fired off a shot at one of the alarm horns, the precise laser blasting it to pieces that rained down on the ground.

"Gung Ho!" Scarlett cried out the Marine's name. "Stand down this instant!"

"Geez Gung Ho, what are you trying to do? Scare us all to death?" Edwin asked with a shake of his head.

"I was just tryin' to help," the Marine replied a bit sheepishly.

Rebecca nearly jumped out of her skin at the sound of the rifle shot, and was geared up to give the bulky Marine a piece of her mind when the odd sound caught her attention again, and she shivered, hand dropping to her gun; it was coming from the nurse's station. "If there's a shut-off somewhere nearby, the nurse's station might have a control panel or something..." Rebecca said, doing her best to keep her voice level as she approached the cubicle-like area.

"Well, if the alarm doesn't bring somebody running, that sure will," Strong remarked wryly.

"Strong, go give Doctor Chambers a hand," Scarlett ordered. "While you're at it, look to see if there's a phone. I didn't see one upstairs, but if the electric is still going, the phone line might still be working if we can find one."

Strong gave Scarlett a salute, before heading after Rebecca, slowing her steps when she saw the tension in the other woman. "Uh... Doc?"

Rebecca jumped at the title, and looked back, before smiling wryly. "Sorry... what?"

"Need some help?"

Rebecca shook her head. "No, I just thought I... heard..." The sentence trailed off as the source of the sound became more clear.

It was the sound of fingernails scratching against the tiled floor, and the fingers those nails were attached to were just visible beyond one of the entrances to the nurse's station. "Holy shit!" Strong said at the sight. "We gotta help her. She might be hurt!"

"Hold on!" Rebecca said, shaking her head and touching Strong's arm. "If she's been hurt, then she may be a carrier."

At Kenya's outburst, the other three Joes immediately snapped to attention, Scarlett and Gung Ho once again bringing their weapons up as they immediately moved towards the nurse's station, Lifeline right behind them. "What is it?" Scarlett asked as she looked around the ends of the station.

As they had spoken, the woman started shifting forward. She was able to do little more than drag herself along the floor, and Strong gasped, taking a step back as the woman's ruined face came into view. "W-what the hell?"

"Jesus Christ!" Edwin exclaimed from over Scarlett's shoulder, the taller medic standing just behind his fiery haired team leader.

"Stay back," Scarlett yelled, as she trained her rife on the slowly moving form.

The woman turned her whitened eyes toward them, drawn by the smell of warm, living flesh. Her lips parted, a hungry moan escaping her as a trail of black ichor dribbled from the corner of her mouth. At the sound, Rebecca's hands came up, her gun went off, and the zombie's head exploded like an overripe melon. "Jesus..." Strong said, taking another step back. "What in the hell?!"

"...T-virus zombie," Rebecca's tone was soft.

His dark eyes wide behind the lenses of his glasses, Edwin's hand came up to his mouth. He had listened intently when Billy had told him about his entrapment inside an Umbrella facility with Rebecca and the mutated creatures and infected people that they had run into; but to actually see one in the flesh ... the medic could feel the bile rising in his throat as he fought down an urge to be sick. "Fuckin' Christ on a crutch," Gung Ho said, the bald man visibly paling, unable to tear his eyes away from what was left of the woman.

"Doctor, you and Strong get out of there, _now_." Scarlett ordered, her tone even and crisp.

The other two women nodded a silent assent, and rejoined the others. Strong was visibly shaken, and Rebecca only looked tired. Her shoulders sagged a little and she shook her head. "How the hell could one of those things still be alive after all this time?" Scarlett asked as the others gathered together once again.

"Two theories," Rebecca replied. "One, they've developed a new strain of the virus that doesn't degenerate as quickly. Unlikely, but a possibility. Two...it hasn't been down here all that long."

"The smell..." Lifeline said, a frown creasing his features.

"What smell?" Gung Ho asked the medic.

"When we first came in." Edwin replied. "Now that I think about it, if it had been from three years ago when Lakeview was closed down, it wouldn't have been been so... strong. We would have smelled something, but nothing like that and only when we found it. Whatever was the cause, it was definitely less than three years old. Maybe one, two at the most."

"If it's even that old," Rebecca said. "In my experience, if the zombies are still mobile, it hasn't been more than a month or two."

"But if this place has been abandoned for three years... " Scarlett started, only to have Lifeline finish her sentence for her.

"Lakeview might have been abandoned, but this lab obviously wasn't," the medic's voice sounded grim.

Rebecca nodded. "Exactly."

Gung Ho swore under his breath.

"All the more reason for us to haul our asses out of here," Scarlett said, her sapphire gaze hard as she looked at those around her.

"We'll need to finish checking out this level, before we move down to the next." Rebecca shook her head. "We need a map, _badly_. And it could be anywhere."

"Shouldn't there be one posted around here anyway?" Lifeline asked. "In case of an emergency," he continued on as he met by uncomprehending looks from the rest of the group. "There's supposed to be maps showing escape routes posted near all the exits of a building."

"I've never known Umbrella to do anything by the book, but it can't hurt to check near the stairwell where we came in," Rebecca replied.

"Gung Ho, you and Lifeline go check it out," Scarlett ordered, the two men nodding before heading off towards the stairs. "Keep your eyes and ears open." The blue-eyed woman called after them.

Rebecca sighed softly, pinching the bridge of her nose and watching the two men as they walked off. She found herself again wishing Billy were there. Although she had been pegged as the "Umbrella expert" and in spite of her efforts to do what she felt needed to be done, she knew she was in well over her head at this point, and felt guilty for dragging others in with her. "You alright Doctor?" Scarlett asked Rebecca, the redhead's trained eye missing nothing.

Rebecca jumped a little, surprised out of her thoughts by the question. "Frankly? No, not really. But I will be." She replied. Scarlett's cool blue gaze regarded the younger woman for a few moments before she gave Rebecca almost imperceptible nod of her head. "And for what it's worth," Rebecca went on, "I'm sorry for dragging all of you into this."

"We had no way of knowing, Doctor. It was a chance we all took." Scarlett said, her tone firm.

"Yeah..."

"And you know that Devil Dog would have come for anyone one of us."

Rebecca smiled a little at that. "I know..."

The rest of whatever the two might have said to one another was halted by the return of Gung Ho and Lifeline. The big Cajun shaking his head as he approached the waiting women, while the medic had a slight smile on his face. "What did you find?" Scarlett asked, stepping past Rebecca to meet the two men halfway.

"You ain't gonna believe it..." Gung Ho responded.

Scarlett's sapphire gaze slide to Lifeline. "You didn't."

The medic held up his hand, a laminated sheet between his fingers. "Guess somebody on Umbrella's staff had _some_ respect for the Fire Marshal's requirements."

Rebecca smiled at that. "Well done..."

Edwin blushed faintly as he offered the diagram to Scarlett. The redhead gave the medic a smile as she accepted the diagram. "Good job." Turning away slightly, she glanced down at the sheet. "Doctor Chambers," she said after a few moments, her eyes coming up to find Rebecca, motioning for the younger woman to join her.

Shaking off her weariness, Rebecca stepped up beside Scarlett, and perused the map, it was only for their floor, and displayed a supply storage room off to their left, a linen closet beside it, and a janitor's closet. This particular closet was marked with a black dot, and it was only to be presumed that whatever that dot meant had been so obvious, there was no need to put a key on the map itself. Next to the janitor's closet was another file storage room, an infirmary, and operating rooms. Rebecca shook her head and frowned. "I can't imagine anything being very helpful to us here... although..." she tilted her head to the side. "We might find something on the parasite either in one of the operating rooms, or the file storage. It looks like Lakeview did all the work on their... special patients down here..." Her voice trailed off into almost nothing.

Scarlett spent a few quiet moments contemplating both the map and the younger woman's words. Looking up, she glanced around at the others. "We'll split up. Doctor, you and Lifeline take the operating rooms. Gung Ho, Strong and I will take the file room." Her sapphire gaze was intense as she leveled on each one of the others as she spoke. "I don't want anyone going off alone for any reason in case there is any... anyone else down here."

Rebecca's voice was soft as she stepped closer to Lifeline, preparing to head off. "Please... be careful everyone."

"Ain't gotta tell me twice, Doc." Gung Ho grumbled, the big Marine looking none too happy.

"Just stay on your toes everyone." Scarlett added before moving off towards the storage area, motioning for Gung Ho and Strong to follow her.

Lifeline glanced down at Rebecca, his dark eyes full of concern as he looked at the young woman. Rebecca's lips set into a hard line, and she took a slow breath. Feeling eyes on her, she looked up at Edwin as Strong and the others headed for the file storage room. "Ready?" the medic asked quietly.

"As ready as I'm going to get," she replied in an equally hushed tone, slowly pressing open one of the swinging doors and easing into the room, gun in hand.

Edwin was right behind her, his steps silent on the tiled floor as they entered the first of the operating rooms. The overhead lights flickered on as the pair entered the room, the lights having been set with motion detectors so that staff wouldn't have to manual turn them on and off after scrubbing up. The room itself was antiseptically cold, all the counters and tables made of stainless steel, the operating table dominating the middle of the room. There were leather restraints shiny and worn, laying open on the table, and Rebecca shivered. "The animals..." she murmured, mostly to herself.

Standing behind Rebecca, Lifeline shivered slightly as he looked at the stainless table, memories flooding back to him of his capture by Cobra almost a year ago and being strapped down to a very similar table. Unconsciously, the medic lightly put his hands on Rebecca's shoulders. She inhaled a gasp at the unexpected touch, and jumped a little, before her hands came up to cover Lifeline's. "I-I'm sorry," she whispered. "You startled me."

"I-I'm sorry..." Edwin stuttered out, flushing slightly.

Rebecca shook her head. "No, it's okay," she murmured softly. "This has gotta be tough for you, too."

The medic squeezed the young woman's shoulders slightly before moving to pull his hands away. Rebecca let her hands fall from his, and started crossing the room slowly, her eyes and ears alert to anything that seemed out of place, or anything moving that wasn't the two of them. "I wonder... if there were any survivors of this particular outbreak..." she murmured to herself, as she neared the door that led from one operating room to the next.

"One, at least." Lifeline said softly, feeling the bile rise in his throat as the thought about the woman they had found near the nurse's station.

"Try not to think too hard on it," Rebecca replied. "She... wasn't really human anymore..."

"I've been thinking," the medic said, stopping just as Rebecca was reaching to open the door to the adjoining room. Rebecca paused as Edwin began to speak, turning enough to look at him. "The smell, when we came in and the w-woman... " Lifeline's voice faltered a bit. "If this place had been abandoned when Lakeview was closed, then the scent of putrefaction would never have been that strong; and the woman... "

Rebecca nodded. "I know. They may have closed Lakeview down, but this place didn't close at the same time. That zombie proved it."

Edwin nodded as well. "I'd say they were using this place up to at least a year ago, probably less then that if I had to guess..." the medic trailed off, a thought coming to him. "I wonder..." he tapped his lips with this forefinger. "The bodies that Billy's team retrieved... "

"It isn't totally out of the question they came from here," Rebecca replied, her own tone becoming thoughtful. "After all, he does tend to get called all over the country with this new position, right?"

Lifeline nodded. "It's just that... it was almost like someone wanted them to be found."

"What do you mean?"

Edwin shook his head. "I don't know, there's just..." his brows crooked together. "There's something that's been bothering me, I just can't put a finger on it."

"The bodies themselves? Or something else?"

"Something else. I don't know, but I think Billy's tied into it in some way. The bodies... his unit getting ambushed... the lockdown at the base... and now... this... " the medic once again shook his head.

"You're right, I think..." Rebecca frowned slightly as she let herself mull it over.

The pair fell into silence for a few moments before Edwin spoke again. "We won't find our answer standing around."

"Right," Rebecca said, turning toward the door again. "Let's keep looking around, and see if we can find something useful."

* * *

While Rebecca and Lifeline were speaking inside the operating room, Scarlett and Kenya Strong were rifling through a bank of metal filing cabinets, Gung Ho stationed next to the door his gun up and at the ready. While the trio had not encountered anyone, they had found evidence that something had happened in the form of an overturned medical cart and several smears of blood on the wall.

Strong, already wound tight, couldn't help but feel a little jumpy as she picked her way through one of the rows of filing cabinets. In spite of all her training, she couldn't help but think about Hopper, and see over and over again the surprise on his face right before he collapsed, and was carried away into the shadows. She swallowed hard, trying to ignore the panic that was ever so slowly creeping up on her, she suddenly remembered something she had heard Billy shout at them more than once.

"Be where you are."

It wasn't until the words left her lips that Strong realized she had spoken them aloud, and she quickly shook herself and went back to work.


	10. Chapter Ten

Chapter Ten

"Anything from Scarlett yet?" Duke leaned over the console as he spoke, his blue eyes on the man seated in front of him.

"Nothing so far," Dial Tone replied. "I haven't been able to raise her on the horn either."

The big blonde's frown deepened as he turned to regard the communication room's only other occupant. "What about you, Mainframe? Anything on the G.P.S.?"

"Nada," Mainframe replied. "There's something interfering with the signal."

"Do ya think somethings happened?" Dial Tone asked.

"They _should_ be on their way back," Duke responded.

"Maybe they're having communication problems," Mainframe offered up.

"Maybe..." the big blonde said with a sigh. "Keep trying," he said to the other two men. "Let me know as soon as you hear anything."

"And if we don't?" Dial Tone asked.

Duke's blue gaze turned back to the communications specialist. "Put a chopper on stand-by just in case. There's a possibility that they might have found something, so I'll give them a bit more time." Straightening up, the big blonde turned and left the room, the other two Joes watching as he did so.

* * *

Scarlett glanced momentarily at Strong and then over at Gung Ho before returning to the task at hand. As she sifted through the files, Scarlett couldn't help but shake her head at some of the things that she found. Detailed notes on animal experimentation and as she dug further, human experimentation. As she flipped through a file detailing an experiment done on a sampling of leeches, the red-head grimaced in distaste and not for the first time either. Apparently Umbrella Corporation and it's employees had no ethics when it came to their work. _No wonder Cobra hooked up with them_ , Scarlett thought to herself as she closed the file, resisting the urge to wipe her hands on her pants.

Strong was still sorting through files, tilting her head to the side slightly when she found a label that caught her eye. "Trojan...Horse project?" she murmured, pulling the file out and beginning to flip through it. It only took a page or two before her eyes widened. "H-hey, Scarlett?"

Scarlett looked up and over at the young woman. "Did you find something, Sergent?"

"I think I may have." Strong said with a nod, walking toward Scarlett with the file in hand.

The flame-haired Joe closed the file that she had been looking at, her blue eyes on Strong as she approached her. His attention drawn towards to the two women, Gung Ho took a few steps away from the doorway, curious. Scarlett moved to meet the other woman half-way. "What is it?" she said, her eyes going to the file folder in Kenya's hand.

"Something on a project called Trojan Horse...some of this stuff..." Strong held the file out to Scarlett. "Take a look for yourself."

Her brows crooking slightly, Scarlett took the folder and flipped it open, her blue eyes scanning over the top sheet before browsing through some of the others behind it. "Whatcha got Scarlett?" Gung Ho asked, trying to read the red-head's face.

Scarlett left the Cajun's question unanswered as she paged through the folder, before she raised her gaze up to look at Kenya Strong. "Look at the third page. It's got all the specifics," Strong urged.

The page in question had a detailed report on something called the Trojan Horse parasite, everything from an estimated incubation period, to the chemical compounds necessary to activate it. There was also information regarding the progression of several patients, one of which was former Second Lieutenant William R. Coen, USMC. A slight gasp escaped from Scarlett, her blue eyes wide as she looked back up from the page. "I'll be damned..."

"Scarlett?" Gung Ho asked, a concerned tone in his voice.

"Something like this musta been what Doc Chambers was looking for," Strong said.

" _Exactly_ what's she's looking for," the red-head said with a nod of her head. "Good work, Sergent," she added, favoring the other woman with a small smile.

Strong couldn't quite muster the enthusiasm to smile back, but she gave a nod of acknowledgment. "Thank you, Ma'am," she replied quietly.

"Let's go find Lifeline and Doctor Chambers," Scarlett said as she closed the file and handed it back to Kenya. "I'll let you do the honors, Sergent."

Strong gave another small nod and took the file back, tucking it carefully under one arm. Settling her laser rifle in her hand again, Scarlett stepped past Gung Ho. "Let's move it out."

* * *

The second operating room was as empty as the first, although there were signs of some kind of struggle having taken place. There were a few bodies, slumped in pools of dried blood, their sightless eyes staring at nothing, slack jaws open in frozen expressions of terror. Rebecca shivered and hurried through, keeping her gun trained on each body as they passed it, and when she opened the door to the last operating room, she barely had time to stifle a scream at the sight that greeted her. 

The operating table was still occupied, and a lip-less grin greeted them. One clouded-over eye stared at them, still rolling lazily in its socket, trying to look for the door it could no longer see. A low, strangled groan escaped the body, its fingers twitching, hands struggling still to free themselves from the cuffs, deep furrows of flesh peeled away where it had fought while it still had strength. Nor was it alone.

Edwin's dark eyes widened as he saw the bodies beyond the door, his hand unconsciously going to Billy's gun. Staying close to Rebecca, he followed her lead as they edged around the corpses and into the room beyond. A deep intake of breath was Edwin's response as he saw the still moving body on the table, his hand going to cover his mouth as the thing turned in their direction, its mouth working while its fingers scrabbled on the stainless steel table. "Jesus Christ!" the words were nearly unintelligible, his palm pressed to his mouth.

Shocked by the thing on the table, Lifeline didn't immediately notice the other creatures until another low rattling sound snapped his attention away from the table and over to the side of the room. Another shambling figure was staggering toward them on shaky legs, hands outstretched as it shuffled. The rattling sound had been a medical cart, shoved aside when the zombie moved. There was another movement, off to the other side of the room, and Rebecca felt a whimper in her throat when she counted two more of the zombies. _Oh god,_ she thought. _No..._

His head snapping from one side of the room to the other, Lifeline slipped off his med kit, once again intending to use it as a means of self defense against the creatures if necessary. Rebecca brought her gun up, glad they hadn't strayed far from the doorway, and shrieked when a hand clamped down on her wrist, yet another zombie making itself known, already leaning in to try and get a bite of Rebecca's neck. Struggling with the creature, which was much stronger than a walking corpse should have been, Rebecca couldn't help but be overcome by the stench of the zombie, a smell of death and decay she had hoped to never experience so up close and personal again. Panic, fear, and nausea all whirled in her head, each seeking dominance over the others. "Rebecca!" Edwin called out the young woman's name as he swung his kit at the zombie, the case impacting with the thing's head with a solid thump.

The zombie staggered, pulling Rebecca forward a few steps, and she cried out again, feet scrambling for a foothold as she tried to retreat desperately. Dimly, she was aware of the other zombies getting closer, and tried to twist her gun enough to be able to fire at one them. Lifeline swung out again, landing another solid blow to the creature's head, hearing a sickening crunch before he felt the scrambling of fingers on the back of his uniform. The zombie clinging to Rebecca let her go abruptly, and she scrambled to her feet, swinging around and bringing her gun to bear, aiming carefully and firing at the zombie trying to get a hold of Edwin. Rebecca's shot hit the zombie full in the face, splattering blood, skin and bone. It's scrabbling fingers were still working as it's body slid to the floor before finally stilling. Spinning on his heel, Edwin felt a sudden urge to retch as the sickening smell of putrefaction rose in the room. Wrenching his eyes away from the zombie's lifeless corpse, he reached to grab Rebecca, the path to the door clear for the moment. Rebecca met him halfway, already pushing him toward the open doorway, stumbling as another zombie managed to land a hand on her own medkit. She swung back with the butt of the gun, trying not to retch as the weapon tore rotting flesh from delicate bone, but the grip held firm.

* * *

"What the hell?" the echo of gunfire reached Scarlett and the others as they were making their way towards where they had left Rebecca and Lifeline. Immediately the flame-haired woman broke into a run, Gung Ho and Kenya Strong right behind her. Bursting through the swinging doors, Gung Ho's fired off a shot, the arc of laser fire blasting towards the zombie clinging to Rebecca's medkit. "Yo Joe!"

The shot severed the zombie's limb, and a few more moments of frantic flailing dislodged the decaying limb, and Rebecca darted forward for the doorway. Once she was through, Strong moved in to fire at the remaining zombies. As soon as the doorway was clear, Edwin all but dived into the next room as Gung Ho and Kenya rained shot upon shot on the creatures in the other room. "Lifeline! Doctor Chambers!" Scarlett hurried over to them. "Are you two alright?"

Rebecca hugged her arms around herself, trembling as she looked up at Scarlett and nodded. "T-thanks to you. . ."

Moving towards Rebecca, Edwin adjusted his hold on his medkit before slipping an arm around the young woman's shoulders as the sounds of gunfire in the next room slowed down. "T-thanks for the help..." she whispered softly once Edwin was close enough. "I owe you one."

"You don't owe me anything," the medic said softly.

After a few moments, the sound of gunfire finally petered out. A few minutes later, Strong and Gung Ho emerged from the other room, the two of them backing out slowly. "What's the situation?" Scarlett asked.

"Nothing's moving around in there anymore," Strong said softly. "Don't think they will be again anytime soon."

"You two alright?" the red-head asked Gung Ho and Kenya, her eyes flicking over the two as she spoke.

Edwin's dark gaze snapped over to the two at the sound of Scarlett's voice. Slipping his arm from Rebecca's shoulder, he started towards Strong and Gung Ho. "Grossed out like you wouldn't believe, but all in one piece." was the big Cajun's reply.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Strong replied, holstering her pistol. In spite of her gruff tone, however, the sergeant was decidedly paler than normal.

Gung Ho wrinkled his nose as Lifeline joined them. "Damn, Lifeline, what're you wearing? Smells like _eau du_ zombie."

The medic made a slight face at the big Marine; the back of Edwin's uniform was splattered with remnants of the creature that Rebecca had shot. Rebecca managed a weak chuckle as she forced herself to her feet. "Sorry about that, Lifeline..."

"Better than the alternative," Edwin said with a slight shudder.

"Enough chit chat, people," Scarlett interjected. "All that gunfire is liable to bring more of those things if there are any more still around."

"Right," Strong said, looking over at Rebecca and handing the file over. "When you've got a sec, Doc, look that over, huh?" Rebecca raised an eyebrow but nodded, tucking the file folder into a safe place in her medkit.

"Gung Ho," Scarlett motioned towards the door with her head. "I'll take the point." The bald man nodded. "The rest of you fall in."

They all fell into line, and were on their way again, making their way back to the stairs, which led not only up to the floor they had just come from, but down another flight to the next sub-basement. After consulting with Rebecca for a few moments, Scarlett directed the team to head down. Cautiously, the group descended with Scarlett in the lead followed by Rebecca, Lifeline, Kenya Strong and finally Gung Ho.

* * *

The third floor was dark compared to the other two, the alarm they had been greeted with upon entering the installation nothing but a faint memory left behind them. Strong felt an unusually powerful moment of panic as they stopped at the foot of the stairs, those with flashlights bringing them out. Rebecca was frowning as she played the thin beam of light around. _I wonder if this is where the outbreak started_ , she wondered. "Can someone check and see if there's another map by the stairwell?" She asked.

"I will," Edwin volunteered before stepping away from the others, the beam of his flashlight playing across the pale wall of the stairwell. There was a faint intake of breath from the medic as the beam flashed over a large smear of blood on the wall. Almost immediately, Lifeline focused the light down towards the floor, mentally gearing himself for what he might find. Edwin let out a sigh of relief when there was no body, although there were several large dark stains marring the gray concrete.

As with the floor above, there was a map of that level hanging near the stairs. There weren't many rooms on this floor. Only a morgue, a conference room, another supply closet, and a rather large block of area marked "SPECIMEN STORAGE". A grim look on his face, the medic returned to the others and handed over the plastic enclosed sheet to Rebecca. She took it, trying to angle the flashlight and the map so that there was a minimum of glare. When she saw what their current floor contained, she broke into a fit of swearing that might have done Billy proud, if he had been standing there. Looking over the young woman's shoulder, Gung Ho frowned as he looked at the map. "I gotta bad feeling..." he mumbled as he saw the large block that had been marked off as specimen storage.

"You're not the only one," Scarlett intoned, her lips thinned into a grim line as she glanced up at Rebecca. "What do you think they might have kept in there, Doctor?"

"Anything from regular zombies to the Cerberus series to a Tyrant," Rebecca said, shaking her head. "Not to mention anybody they hadn't gotten around to experimenting on yet."

Gung Ho swore softly, a mixture of English and Creole. "What's a Cerberus?" Lifeline asked, the medic having only encountered one of the dreaded Umbrella Tyrants before that day.

"Picture a Doberman Pinscher, turn its skin inside out, take decomposition into account, and you'll have a pretty good mental image," Strong muttered.

Rebecca smiled weakly. "Vivid, but very apt."

"Ugh," Edwin grimaced, just the description alone making him feel a bit nauseous.

"What do you think the odds are that there is likely to be anything like that down here?" Scarlett asked Rebecca.

"Since we're underground, I don't think the Cerberus are too likely. They would be here already, if they were, I'd think. They scent fresh blood pretty quick."

"Guess we should be thankful for small miracles," Gung Ho mumbled.

Scarlett raised her gloved hand, forestalling any further comments. "We know there are zombies already. A Tyrant though..." She sighed and shook her head, her expression growing more grim. Scarlett had encountered one of the almost super-human killing machines before, and bore the scars to prove it. Ever since that fateful meeting, the red-head had hoped that she would never have to see one again.

"The likelihood of finding one of those here isn't very likely either," Rebecca said. "Or at least, that's what I'm hoping...Two of those things...or even the same one twice..." She said nothing more, shivering.

"We don't have much choice," Scarlett said after a few moments. "We have to keep moving, until we can find an exit." The blue-eyed woman looked at each of those gathered around her in turn before she spoke again. "I want everyone to check their ammo before we go in."

Strong and Rebecca nodded immediately, the two facing one another to share the beam of Strong's flashlight while they checked their guns and ammunition. Lifeline provided the light for his fellow Joes as they too checked their weapons, the medic of course not needing to check the Magnum at his hip since it had not been drawn during their trek. As Rebecca and Strong were looking their weapons over, Kenya glanced up at the other woman and spoke, very softly. "Can I...ask you a question, Doc?"

Rebecca nodded. "Go ahead."

"Hopper...d'you think...I mean...was there anything we could have done?"

Rebecca felt her heart clench and she was silent for a few moments before she replied. "No, Kenya, I don't think so. He was very likely...beyond help before he was taken away."

Strong considered that for several moments more, before giving a little nod. "...Okay."

After seeing to her laser rifle, Scarlett took stock of the quiver on her back before adjusting the small crossbow that was hanging from her hip. Satisfied, she then glanced at the others to see how they were coming along. "Ready?" she asked after a few moments. Gung Ho nodded as he adjusted his grip on his laser rifle, as did Lifeline.

"Yeah," Strong said, speaking up a little more clearly as she and Rebecca straightened, and Strong passed Rebecca's rifle back to her. "We're good."

Scarlett nodded. "Fan out. Anything comes out once that door opens, start shooting and head back upstairs. Got it?"

A chorus of nods was her response. "Lifeline, get behind Strong and Doctor Chambers," the flame haired woman commanded before turning her attention to the automatic door.

Rebecca stepped aside slightly to allow Edwin to get behind them, and she exhaled a soft breath, steeling herself. Strong gave Lifeline a nod as he passed, before she turned her full attention forward again. Scarlett glanced back to make sure that everyone was in position before using the butt of her rifle to tap the opening button on the door, the red-head jumping back and raising her rifle as soon as she heard the mechanism engage.

The scene they were greeted with was one eerily reminiscent of a George Romero movie. The hallways were barren, the lights dark here as well, although one flickered occasionally in the distance. The acoustics made it difficult to figure out where any of the sounds were actually originating from. The group held their places, their weapons up and trained on the opened doorway for several long minutes, but nothing emerged from the space beyond. With a wave of her gloved hand, Scarlett signaled the others to move forward. They did so cautiously, ears trained on the soft moans that could be heard in the hallway, and the sounds of several shuffling feet. As they eased down one hallway, a woman's shriek echoed through the hallway, nearly startling Rebecca out of her skin, and making Strong shiver. "Holy shit...somebody's still alive down here?"

"We don't know that for sure," Scarlett said.

"We should check," Strong said quietly. "If they're okay...we gotta help 'em out."

Lifeline nodded,"If there is still somebody down here, we can't just leave them." The medic looked to Rebecca, sure that she would back him up.

Rebecca nodded firmly. "Nobody deserves to die like that."

"C'mon Scarlett..." Gung Ho chimed in.

"Alright," the red-head agreed.

They followed the sound, although it was difficult in the building. The wordless screams became pleas as they grew closer, a woman's voice shouting. "Somebody help me please! Let me out of here!" The woman was clearly shouting as loud as she could. Rebecca couldn't help but reflect she sounded remarkably well, all things considered. As they turned a corner, however, they saw at least part of the reason for the screaming. The hallway was packed with zombies, all of them trying to get into the specimen storage area.

"Good God!" the words left Edwin's lips before he realized that he had spoken.

"Oh shit..." Strong whispered.

"Oh god, I knew I should have brought a flame thrower..."

Gung Ho raised his eyebrow at Rebecca, a bit surprised.

"How the hell are we supposed to get past that?" Scarlett said, her lips once again thinning into a grim line.

"A very large gun, a napalm grenade, or something to lure them off for awhile."

Scarlett gave Rebecca a wry look. "I don't happen to find this very funny, Doctor."

Rebecca's expression was grim as she met Scarlett's eyes. "I wasn't trying to be funny."

"We need to get in there," Edwin interjected as another scream for help sounded from the closed off storage area.

Scarlett glanced at the milling zombies before turning her attention back to the others. "We'll split up. Gung Ho, I want you and Doctor Chambers to distract the zombies and lead them away from the storage area. Strong and I will go in with Lifeline."

Rebecca glanced over and up at Gung Ho. "Ever played live bait for a zombie before?"

"Played it for a gator once," the big Cajun answered with a grin. "Can't be much different."

"You don't have to run quite as fast this time, I'd imagine," Came the reply as Rebecca beckoned for Gung Ho to follow her, and looked back at Scarlett. "Stay completely out of sight until they've all followed us."

"Understood," the red-head said with a nod. "Be careful." She added as the pair began to move away.

"You, too," Rebecca replied.

As she and Gung Ho approached the zombies, Rebecca raised her Magnum and fired once. A zombie went down in a spray of blood, and the others turned slowly towards the two in confusion. When they saw Rebecca and Gung Ho, several of them moaned, hands coming up as they started shuffling toward the two. Rebecca motioned for Gung Ho to follow her lead, darting past the group of zombies, then slowing once she was well out of reach, waiting for them to follow her. Without a word, the big Cajun followed the young woman, his eyes darting back at the shuffling creatures as they started to pursue them. "Bit slow, ain't they?

"That's a very, very good thing," Rebecca replied. "Because they're nasty as hell when they can move quick."

Pressed back against the wall, Scarlett and the others couldn't see what was happening, but they could hear the sounds of movement as the zombies congregated in front of the storage area started to move.

Chancing a quick glance around the corner, Scarlett found that although the bulk of the zombies had started after Rebecca and Gung Ho, there were still a few stragglers, although it wasn't from a lack of trying to follow. A grimace of distaste flashed across her face as she saw that one of them was apparently missing a good part of it's foot, hampering it's ability to move. Pressing herself back against the wall, she turned to glance at Kenya Strong and Lifeline. Strong was tense and silent as she watched the other two, and winced a little when she heard the woman in the storage area cry out again. "Are they gone yet?" Edwin asked Scarlett.

The flame-haired woman shook her head. "Not all of them. There are still a few stragglers. We'll give them a few more minutes." Eventually, the only zombies left behind were one or two that were far too badly deteriorated to be a threat. "Okay you two, let's go." Scarlett said softly as she peered around the corner a few minutes later. Rising to her feet, she adjusted her grip on her rifle and stepped out into the hallway, keeping her back to the wall.

Even the next room had grown eerily silent as Lifeline and Strong slipped out to follow behind Scarlett.


	11. Chapter Eleven

 

Chapter Eleven

 

"They're getting closer," Gung Ho said as he leveled his rifle on the approaching zombies, several of the shuffling figures with their arms outstretched, their fingers clawing at the empty air.

"Just keep moving," Rebecca said. "It'll be a waste of ammo if we try to take them all down."

"Whatever you say, Doc." The bald man said as he moved up to Rebecca's side.

"I just hope the others don't have any trouble getting the other person out of there..."

"Let's hope there ain't none of those things in there."

Rebecca nodded silently.

* * *

It was eerily quiet as Scarlett and the others crept towards the storage area, the only sound, the occasional faint moan from the two remaining zombies that where lying on the tiled floor.

"H-hello?" The woman's voice floated out from the specimen storage. "Is somebody there?"

"It's okay Miss, we're here to get you out." Lifeline called out as he and the others neared the steel door. The sound of his voice however, also drew the attention of the zombies on the floor, causing the creatures to slowly turn in their direction, a fresh chorus of moans escaping from their decomposing lips as they caught sight of the trio.

Strong's eyes narrowed and as one of the zombies tried to drag itself forward. She pulled her pistol and put a single, neat bullethole in its temple. "Stay down, asshole."

Scarlett looked at the other woman but said nothing, instead turning her attention to opening the door. "Cover the door, " she said before hitting the automatic opening mechanism and jumping back.

The first thing that hit them was the smell. The second thing was the mass amount of corpses. Each of the holding cages and tanks were still occupied, but most of those occupants had long since passed the point of caring about their visitors. A few of the tanks had little more than a black sludge across the bottom of it, with the occasional barely recognizable body part peeking up to tease at the imagination. The soft moan of a zombie could be heard, and the woman screamed again. "Get the fuck away from me!"

Dashing in ahead of the others, Lifeline gagged as he fought down the urge to vomit, clamping his hand over his nose and mouth. "Hello?" He called out, his voice muffled. As he moved past the row of cages and tanks, he tried not to look too closely, instead only giving them cursory glances, not wanting to linger on the horrors contained within.

"Lifeline!" Scarlett called out after the medic before following him with a frustrated sound.

"Hello?" The voice that came back was frantic. "Hello?!"

Following the voice, Edwin warily made his way towards it, stopping in his tracks when he encountered two zombies, the creatures reaching through the bars of one of the cages. A heavy boot lashed out at one of the zombies' arms, bashing it against the bar of the cage. Footsteps echoed behind Edwin and then Strong was suddenly beside him, doing her best to ignore the death all around them. The other zombie collapsed on the floor, as a blast from Scarlett's laser rifle blew away a sizable portion of it's skull, the redhead hot on Strong's heels.

* * *

"Weapons fire," Gung Ho said as he and Rebecca continued to lead the trailing zombies away from where they had left the others.

"Just two shots, so far," Rebecca replied. "Maybe just the stragglers who couldn't keep up with the horde?"

"Maybe," the big Marine grumbled. "Maybe we should be ditching these _Night of the Living Dead_ rejects and be getting' back."

Rebecca glanced past the hoard, and mentally judged the distance. "Yeah, I think you're right. We've led them pretty far off."

"So what's the plan, Doc?"

"Circle back around the conference room and head into the storage. If I remember the map right, the conference room's kind of an island. It's a short jog, and they'll try to keep following us all the way around. It'll buy the others some time."

Gung Ho nodded. "Lead on, little lady."

Gung Ho and Rebecca trekked down the hallway, staying just far enough ahead of the following zombies to keep the creatures' attention. When they reached the conference room, the two paused momentarily to check inside, the big Cajun flicking the beam of his flashlight around the room to make sure it was clear before they entered. Pausing in the doorway, they made sure that the zombies saw them before ducking further inside.

* * *

"Miss?" Lifeline hurried over to the cage, gripping the bars as he looked inside.

"Hello?!" The woman shot forward, revealing a pale face.

Strong, from beside Lifeline, gasped. "Hutch?!"

"L-Lieutenant H-Hutchinson?" Edwin stared at the blonde woman on the other side of the bars.

Hutchinson looked at them, confused. "How...how do you know me?"

Scarlett moved next to Lifeline, her blue eyes settling on the woman in the cage. "What's going on?"

"I-I...I'm not sure," the medic said in response, turning to look at Scarlett with a very puzzled look on his face. Strong, standing nearby, looked now less confused.

Scarlett turned her attention to the blonde woman. "Who are you?"

"My name's Nina Hutchinson. I'm a Second Lieutenant, USMC. You?"

It was the Edwin who answered. "I'm Lifeline, this is Scarlett and Sergent Kenya Strong." The medic indicated each of them as he spoke their name. "We're with G.I. Joe."

* * *

"Anything yet?"

"Nothing Duke," Dial Tone replied as he turned around in his chair to face the blonde man. "I haven't been able to raise anyone."

The Joe commander let out a frustrated sound. "They've had more than enough time to get back..."

"Do you think something has happened to them?"

Duke's blue eyes flicked to Dial Tone. "I hope to God not." The big blonde rubbed his chin with his hand. "Make sure that chopper is ready," he instructed. "and have Low Light and Lady Jaye meet there in fifteen minutes."

"Will do," Dial Tone said as he turned back around to the console in front of him.

"And get Devil Dog's second on the horn while you're at it." Duke said as he stepped towards the door. "Tell her to suit up." With a pensive look on his face, the blue-eyed man left the communications room.

* * *

At the mention of the Joe team, Hutchinson slumped back in her cage. "Thank god," she murmured, then said more loudly. "A-Are you guys with that team of Bio...bio-weapons specialists?"

"Not exactly," Scarlett replied as she eyed on the lock on the cell.

"How do you know about that?" Lifeline asked.

"They were trying to recruit me for it, awhile back," Hutchinson replied. "I was in transit to where I was supposed to report in when we were intercepted and attacked."

The medic glanced up at Scarlett, the red-head nodding at his unanswered question. "Keep your head down," the red-head instructed as she looked at Hutchinson. "I'm going to blow the lock."

Hutchinson nodded, and tucked her head under her arms, curling so that her arms and legs would take any damage that might crop up. Strong, meanwhile, couldn't help but stare in complete confusion; the world really _had_ gone stark raving mad, she thought.

Using her crossbow and one of the smaller explosives-tipped darts in the quiver on her back, Scarlett had the locking mechanism laying in pieces at her feet within a few minutes. Moving past the red-head, Lifeline opened the door and stepped inside, the medic immediately kneeling down next to Nina Hutchinson's side as he slipped his medkit from his back. "Are you all right?" Strong asked, remaining near the now-open door of Hutchinson's holding cell.

"You mean other than spending at least the last six months in the company of monsters, mutants and psychos?" Hutchinson asked blandly, slowly stretching her legs now that she wasn't having to contort herself to keep away from the hands of the attacking zombies. "Just fucking peachy."

As Scarlett and Kenya stood watch outside the cell, Edwin gave Hutchinson a quick exam, finding the blonde woman to be in much better shape than he would have expected given the circumstances. As the medic worked, he and the others questioned the lieutenant on her captivity, learning that the first of the zombies had appeared a little less then a month ago by Hutchinson's best guess. Things had then gone from bad to worse within the space of a few days, with the blonde woman apparently the only one left in the facility who had not been infected. As she spoke, Hutchinson paused every so often to eat and drink from the rations and canteen that Lifeline had given her.

Aside from being underfed and dehydrated, the woman was in relatively good shape, and clearly anxious to be out of the facility as quickly as possible. She tried to save most of her own questions, knowing there would be ample time later to have them answered. And if not, she figured, then it probably wouldn't matter anyway.

* * *

Crossing the conference room, Rebecca and Gung Ho glanced behind them to make sure that the band of zombies were still following them. Using his flashlight, Gung Ho would flicked it over the trailing creatures, making sure to hold their attention. The pair had just reached the open door on the other side when a pair of zombies rose up to block their path, their fingers clutching towards the Marine and the doctor. Rebecca shrieked and recoiled from the zombies, badly startled, even as she brought her gun up to fire.

Just as surprised by the sudden appearance, Gung Ho swung his flashlight up towards the creatures' faces, the strong beam illuminating the zombies' milky white eyes. Swearing, the Marine brought his weapon in his other hand up, firing without hesitation, the short precise laser blasts hitting the closest of the creatures full in its face. Rebecca's gun barked as soon as the flashlight illuminated the zombies, gore raining over the two as the zombies collapsed. "C'mon, hurry!" she said. "We can't get blocked in here!"

Reaching out, Gung Ho slipped his arm around Rebecca's waist, lifting the young woman from her feet before leaping over the bodies of the two zombies. The big Cajun bolted down the hall a bit before stopping long enough to set Rebecca back down on her feet. " _Merde_ ," Gung Ho swore as he looked over his shoulder. "They were wearing Cobra uniforms."

Rebecca was a little shaky as Gung Ho set her down, shaking her head. "I can't believe...don't they pay attention... this virus is dangerous!" She was almost mumbling to herself, her tone was so low.

"We gotta back to Scarlett and the others," Gung Ho said as he caught sight of movement down the hall near the opened door of the conference room. "'Fore we got company again."

Rebecca nodded, and took a moment to get her bearings before heading back for the Specimen Storage.

* * *

Lifeline and the others, the medic supporting a slightly shaky Nina Hutchinson, were just emerging from the storage area when Gung Ho and Rebecca jogged up.

Rebecca looked at the woman as they approached. "Did they send another team in?" she asked, blinking as she caught sight of the woman who acted as Billy's right hand.

"Who is that?" Gung Ho asked Scarlett, indicating the blonde woman with Lifeline with a flick of his chin.

"Lieutenant Nina Hutchinson, apparently." The red-head replied as she glanced the the woman.

"Hutchinson?" A slightly puzzled look fell over the big Marine's face. "But... how'd she get here?"

"Good question." Scarlett intoned. "Apparently she's been here for past six months or so."

"Then who the hell has been on base all this time?"

"I'll give you one guess," the blue-eyed woman said.

* * *

"What's going on?" The Baroness' accented voice came through the comm link on the raven-haired woman's wrist. "Why are you calling me?"

"Something has come up." was the terse reply.

"What does that mean?"

"The Joes have sent a team to Lakeview."

"Lakeview?"

"That's not the best part," the woman who wore Nina Hutchinson's face replied. "I'm about to go there myself."

"What?"

"Apparently they've lost contact with the first team and are sending a second -- me, or rather Lieutenant Hutchinson, included."

Another frustrated sound burst from the comm link. "Damn it! You've got to stop them. If the Trojan Horse symbiont isn't completely activated within the proper time frame, then Coen will be of no use to us!"

"I've only got five minutes, Baroness." the blonde woman said, trying to keep her voice down lest someone passing by might hear.

The link was silent for a few moments before the raven-haired woman's voice came through once more. "This is what I want you to do..."

Listening intently, the woman who was masquerading as Nina Hutchinson nodded her head.

* * *

Following the footprints in the dust, Duke and the others retraced the steps that Scarlett and the others had taken earlier. As they moved down the shadowed corridor toward, the big blonde couldn't shake the feeling of something being off since the four of them had entered the Lakeview Institution for the Criminally Insane.

It was Low Light who had found the other set of footprints, indicating that the previous team of Joes had left the main floor and ventured down into what appeared to be some kind of underground service corridor. As Duke and the others made their way down the corridor, they found signs of laser and gunfire, the walls and ceiling riddled with blast marks. The trail led down to what eventually amounted to a pile of rubble blocking the corridor. There didn't seem to be any sign that the team had been caught in the tunnel collapse, but it did require that Duke and the others find a different route. "It's almost claustrophobic," Lady Jaye said as she and the others cautiously crept down the shadowed tunnel, the lights set in the walls flickering at random intervals.

"Like creeping around in a tomb," Low Light tossed out, his head swinging back and forth as he brought up the rear.

The occasional sound of something skittering in the darkness could be heard, but nothing attacked them. Duke called the team to a halt as the tunnel they had been traveling down intersected with another. After dispatching Low Light and Lady Jaye to investigate each direction, the big blonde once again tried to raise Scarlett on his comm link, but with no success. It was a few minutes later when Lady Jaye returned, the brunette woman indicating that the tunnel she had reconnoitered had ended in a dead end several yards in.

Taking the corridor in the opposite direction, Low Light cautiously made his way down the tunnel, his near-legendary night vision leading him. He had gone perhaps two hundred yards when he began to notice a smell, a combination of dank mustiness and rot. Slowing, Low Light adjusted his grip on his laser rifle as the tunnel began to bend slightly. Pressing his back against the damp concrete of the tunnel wall, Low Light peeked around the bend in the corridor. "Holy fuck..." the expletive left his lips before he even realized that he had spoken.

The chamber Low Light had stumbled onto was covered almost completely in spiderwebs. Some were the standard, gossamer-fine webbing one might find in a neglected house or out in a garage, while other strands of it were as thick around as the man's wrist. And as if that wasn't enough, there was the suggestion of things caught within that pale maze, parts of limbs hanging out of tears in the webbing, and tightly wrapped cocoons scattered here and there. In the darkest corners, shapes the approximate size of small dogs began to move toward him, deceptively delicate legs bearing bloated, shining bodies into Low Light's field of vision. Without hesitation, the big man started firing at the forms moving towards him. Low Light was one of the few Joes who had actually seen first hand just what Umbrella Corporation and Cobra were capable of; and he would be damned if he would let their monstrosities get the jump on him.

At the first sounds of laser fire, Duke's blonde head snapped up in the direction that Low Light had taken, the big man moving almost immediately towards the corridor. "Low Light!" Lady Jaye was right on Duke's heels, one of her specially designed throwing javelins already in her hand as she left Hutchinson to bring up the rear.

The smallest of the forms coming at Low Light retreated, while the larger kept coming, moving nimbly out of the way of the shots. Pulling a pistol from the holster at his hip, Low Light brought it up, popping off short bursts of laser fire in conjunction with those from his rifle. Shots tore into a few of the larger figures, the spiders skittering off into the darkness again, leaving eventually only the largest of the bunch, which reared up on its hind legs and let out a sound that was something between a hiss and a screech.

At that moment, Duke and Lady Jaye skittered to a stop next to Low Light, shots from the big blonde's laser pistol ringing out to join the other man's. Her brown eyes widening at the sight of the creature, Lady Jaye nonetheless wasted no time in letting the armor-piercing javelin in her hand fly, flinging the weapon with all her might at the rearing spider. The javelin sank deep into the spider's abdomen, and the creature shrieked again, spitting a glob of acid toward the Joes before scuttling off in the darkness, leaving a trail of sickly green ooze behind it. Dodging to the side, Low Light grabbed Lady Jaye, the two of them rolling to the side just seconds before the milky glob splattered the concrete where the dark haired woman had been standing. Duke however, continued to fire off shots at the retreating creature. The spider, crippled by the javelin, collapsed under its own weight as Duke's shots tore fresh wounds in it, letting out a low keening sound before it began to curl up.

Untangling themselves, Low Light and Lady Jaye got to their feet, the two of them immediately turning to regard the injured and dying creature. "What the hell is wrong with you?" Duke asked angrily as he turned to look at Hutchinson, the blonde woman standing idly by while he and the others had been engaged in dealing with the creature. "This is no time to freeze up, soldier."

"S-Sir," Hutchinson replied, reaching out and pointing with a hand that trembled slightly. "H-H-Hopper..."

She was pointing to a body laying nearby, covered from about mid-chest to ankle in thick, bloodstained webbing. Although the dark, for the moment, hid the body's face, the name patch sewn on the jacket was easy to read in the slowly dying emergency lights. A single word.

_Hopper._

* * *

With the rescued Nina Hutchinson in tow, Scarlett's team made their way towards what they hoped would be the exit out of the maze of horrors that had once been an apparent joint Umbrella and Cobra laboratory. Thankfully, the small group had remained unmolested since leaving the floor that had contained the Specimen Storage. Even though they did not encounter any zombies or other creatures, they still found obvious signs that something had happened such as smears of blood, overturned furniture and broken glass.

Signaling the team to a halt, Scarlett called for a short rest period, with Lifeline distributing some of the rations from his med kit around. Rebecca sat down, taking the rations and taking the brief period to try and read through at least part of the file Strong had given her. She needed information, and she needed it fast. If there was still some kind of creature running around the facility, she wanted to know its weaknesses before she was wasting ammunition trying to find it. She wasn't stupid enough to think she would get as lucky as she and Edwin had during Billy's odd fit.

Strong, meanwhile, stayed within sight, but continued keeping her distance from the others. She was angry and hurt and confused, and didn't really feel like talking with much of anyone. She settled instead for watching Hutch as the woman found a seat wearily, and ran a hand through her short-cropped blonde hair. Scarlett and Gung Ho stayed off to the side, the two senior Joes talking in low tones, the big Cajun finally getting the opportunity to tell the redhead about the zombies that he and Rebecca had encountered that had been wearing Cobra uniforms.

Edwin took a few moments to check on Lieutenant Hutchinson, the former captive seeming to have regained some of her strength before moving to join Rebecca, quietly settling down next to the young woman. Rebecca looked up from her reading, and spared Edwin a tired smile. "How're you holding up?" she asked. The medic nodded his head slowly before taking a drink from his canteen. She nodded a little as well, and turned her eyes to the report again, but her brain just wouldn't grasp onto the words and she finally stuffed the file carefully away again. Glancing at Rebecca, Lifeline reached over and laid a hand on her arm. Looking up, Rebecca offered the man a weak smile, bringing a hand to rest over his. "We're going to get out of here," she said softly.

Edwin nodded his head. "I know we will," he said, giving her a faint smile of his own. "There's too much riding on this not to."

"At least we got what we came for. I think the file Strong found for us will be just what we need..."

The medic raised his eyebrow questioningly. Rebecca smiled faintly. "That's right. In all the confusion and hurry, I didn't really get to tell you. Strong found a file on one of the projects being worked on here. Something they were calling Trojan Horse."

"Trojan Horse?" Edwin repeated the words.

"Seems that's the name of the parasite that Bil... Devil Dog's carrying. Apparently the original idea behind it was to be able to trigger it instantaneously, but they never quite managed it."

The medic paled a bit. "Oh my god..."

Rebecca gave a shaky little nod, and glanced around, before dropping her tone until only Edwin could hear. "I haven't read much of the file yet, but what I have read may explain a few things about that incident in his room."

"What do you mean?" Lifeline asked, keeping his tone low as well.

"Remember how he wouldn't attack you? Even when the parasite kinda took over?" The medic nodded, his brows crooking together in puzzlement. "They have lists of what they consider 'abberant traits'... and apparently this thing is capable of imprinting when it's still developing."

Edwin's frown deepened. "I don't understand," he said. "What does that mean?"

Rebecca hesitated for a moment, and dropped her voice down a little lower. "He didn't attack you because the two of you are lovers," she replied, blushing just faintly as she did so. "The parasite doesn't see you as a threat because of it."

Lifeline felt the heat from the blush that crept across his cheeks as well. The medic dropping his gaze, feeling a bit self conscious because of it. "What about... getting rid of it?" he asked softly.

"I haven't found anything yet, but I haven't gotten all the way through it yet, either," Rebecca said. "I'm sure there's something."

Edwin nodded his head, praying silently for all he was worth that there was.

* * *

The discovery of Raphael Hopper's body had left a disheartening pall over the members of Duke's team. While the others had kept an eye on the monstrous dying spider, the big blonde had managed to retrieve the corporal's body, hoping beyond hope that perhaps the man was not dead, but merely stunned or paralyzed. But as Duke and Low Light cut away the clinging gossamer webbing from Hopper's body, it was quickly clear that he was done, and the manner of his death had more than likely not been instantaneous. Even Lady Jaye had been unnerved, the brunette bringing her hand up to her mouth as a small gasp escaped from her lips. "Poor bastard," Low Light said with a shake of his head.

There was a ragged wound at the juncture of the man's neck and shoulder, where jaws not powerful enough to break bone had torn into skin and muscle. Without all the webbing covering him, Hopper's corpse was grotesquely bony, almost mummified in appearance, his face trapped forever in an expression of surprise and terror. If it hadn't of been for the name patch on his uniform and the dog tags around his neck, it would have been impossible to tell just who they had found. "Scarlett... Lifeline... " Lady Jaye's voice was soft as she spoke, her brown eyes wide as she looked up from Raphael Hopper's corpse.

Duke's jaw tightened. "They're alive," he said resolutely.

"No offense, Sir, but how can you be so sure?" Hutchinson asked, the woman still apparently shaken by the discovery of Hopper's body.

"Because I _am_ , Lieutenant." came the gruff reply, Duke's ice blue eyes fastening on the young woman. "Until I find out otherwise." Hutchinson shrank back a bit under that gaze.

Reaching down, Duke removed the dog tags from Hopper's corpse and slipped them in his pocket before giving the corporal's body a final salute. "Let's move out," he said grimly as he stepped away.


	12. Chapter Twelve

Chapter Twelve

 

The short rest that Scarlett had called for soon segued into an extended stay. Seeing as they appeared to be in no apparent danger at the moment, and combined with the physical and emotional exhaustion that seemed to have settled over the small group, the red-head had relented at Lifeline's suggestion that they be allowed to rest for a few hours to regroup. Despite her personal misgivings, Scarlett could see that the medic was right.

Taking the first watch herself, Scarlett had ordered the others to get what sleep they could over the next few hours before the group moved out once again. Sleep was slow in coming, but no one argued with the chance to rest, stretching out or propping themselves up comfortably. Weapons were kept close at hand, ready to be grabbed at a moment's notice. It seemed like she had just fallen asleep after her turn at watch had ended, when Scarlett was awakened by a light touch on her shoulder. Her blue eyes flicking open, while her hand tightened around the grip of her laser pistol, Scarlett found herself looking up at Gung Ho's face. "We've got company," the Marine whispered before moving away to wake the others.

Before Gung Ho had even turned away, Scarlett was up and on her feet, silently moving over to where Lifeline and Rebecca Chambers were, the two propped up against the wall side by side. Reaching out, she gave the two medics a light shake on their shoulders. Rebecca started awake, her hand dropping immediately for her Magnum before she realized where she was and who she was with. Lifeline's dark eyes flicked open, the medic blinking a bit as he looked at Scarlett, noting the serious look on her face. Without a word, Scarlett withdrew her hands and motioned with a flick of her head for them to join the others who were also now awake and on their feet with Gung Ho. Frowning slightly, Edwin rose to his feet before turning towards Rebecca and offering the young woman his hand. Rebecca took the offered hand as she hauled herself to her feet. Although her joints protested, she made no sounds, understanding the unspoken need for quiet.

Scarlett moved away from the pair to join the others while Lifeline released Rebecca's hand before reaching down to retrieve his med kit. Moving towards the rest of the group, he settled it on his shoulders once more. "What is it?" Edwin asked as he joined Gung Ho and the rest of their small group, his voice a mere whisper that somehow still seemed loud in the stillness.

"Gung Ho heard movement back the way that we came." Scarlett replied grimly.

* * *

In single file, Duke and the others made their way up the stairs, the big blonde in the lead while Low Light brought up the rear, the marksman hanging back a bit at regular intervals to make sure that they weren't being followed. As the Joes had made their way through, what they now knew to be an Umbrella facility, they had not been wholly prepared for what they found. If it had not been for Nina Hutchinson's bio-weapons training and quick reactions, they more than likely would not have made it as far as they had. Even so, they all bore signs to attest to the fact that their trek through the facility had been anything but uneventful.

Reaching the top of the stairs, Duke waited until the others had joined him on the landing in front of the closed metal door. Once again the team formed into their previously designated line up before entering the next floor.

* * *

Crouched and hidden, Scarlett and her team waited, their weapons ready. The sound of the metal fire door from the stairwell opening had been unmistakable. The door had groaned just the same when Scarlett herself had pushed it open hours before.

About a yard away, his back against the wall, Gung Ho had his laser rifle up and ready as the first faint sounds of footfalls sounded on the pale tiled floor of the corridor. Risking a quick glance around the corner, the big Cajun caught a momentary flash of movement before ducking back into position. Looking over towards Scarlett's position, Gung Ho raised his hand, signaling the red-head. Scarlett spared a quick glance back at the others to make sure they were all in position, she then turned back to look down the corridor, her finger on the trigger of her rifle.

* * *

Kenya Strong was edgy. As far as she was concerned, she had every right to be. She was also feeling kind of at a loss. After finding Hutch in a cell like they had, the woman not recognizing any of them and telling them a tale that was almost unbelievable, she had found herself disliking the situation more and more. However, she couldn't really fault _Hutch_ for that; so far, the entire mission felt like something out of a movie, something far too contrived to be real.

Beside her, Hutchinson had Rebecca's rifle in hand, holding the weapon remarkably steady considering her state. She looked just as shaken as Strong did, and Strong couldn't help but find that at least a little reassuring as she turned her attention back to the corridor.

* * *

On point, Duke cautiously crept down the corridor, his icy blue eyes scanning all around him with every step. Behind him was Nina Hutchinson, the young blonde woman with her rifle up, the muzzle swinging from side to side as she moved. Next was Lady Jaye, a throwing javelin in one hand, and a laser pistol in the other. Bringing up the rear, was Low Light, the sharpshooter ever alert.

Duke had just taken a step when he was brought up by a low hiss from Hutchinson, the young woman having stopped to regard something on the floor. Taking a few steps back, the big man looked at her questioningly. Silently Nina used her rifle to point to something off to the side on the floor. A slight frown marred Duke's face as he moved closer to investigate it, Lady Jaye leaving her place in the line up to join him.

The object looked like a foil pouch of some kind that had been half-wadded up and carelessly tossed to the side. Bending down, Lady Jaye looked at it curiously before poking at it with the tip of her javelin, flipping it over to reveal the markings of a standard military rations pouch. Looking up at Duke, the brunette woman meet his blue eyes with a nod of understanding.

Rising to her feet, Lady Jaye's voice was the barest of whispers. "They got this far," she said simply, her brown eyes moving to look past the blonde man and down the corridor.

"What is it?" Low Light asked, his voice also a whisper as he moved closer to the other two Joes.

"It looks like Scarlett and the others were here." Duke replied, his expression still grim despite their find.

"No telling how long ago, though." Jaye added quietly.

"We'll just have to keep moving." Duke said solemnly as he turned away from the others. "Let's go."

* * *

Rebecca shifted just slightly from her crouching position near Lifeline, and tried to make as little noise as possible when she did. She was getting nervous and edgy. Whoever it was coming toward them, they were certainly taking their time. Was it another team from the Joe base? Other survivors? Or was it an Umbrella clean-up crew, here to "sanitize" the base, more than likely by blowing it up?

Lifeline glanced at the young woman next to him before craning to look down the corridor where Scarlett and the others were. Out of the six of them, the medic was the only one of the team without a weapon in his hand, Devil Dog's Magnum still sitting in it's holster on Edwin's hip.

The sound of the faint footfalls moved closer, whoever or whatever were getting closer to Gung Ho's position. Chancing another quick glance, the big Cajun caught the sight of movement, his momentary look enough to confirm to that it was definitely a whoever, although if it were human or zombie, he couldn't tell. After a few moments, the figure drew nearer, the muzzle of a pistol in its hand as it started to pass the bald man's position. Gung Ho's finger was on the trigger of his rifle and he was just about ready to squeeze it when, when the figure suddenly spun around towards him, its gun raised and level with his chest. There was a momentary look of surprise on both men's faces as they beheld one another before a huge smile lit up the Cajun's face. "I'll be damned! If it ain't the calvary."

Hearing the exclamation, Scarlett looked up from her hiding place, her pistol trained down the hallway and ready to fire when her blue eyes fell on the very familiar form of her commanding officer. "Duke?"

Rebecca sagged a little in relief at that, and slowly rose out of her crouch. Strong started to as well when she froze. Beside her, Hutchinson still had Rebecca's rifle trained on the approaching group, her eyes narrowed and her lips set in a thin, angry line.

Rising next to Rebecca, Lifeline let out a sigh of relief, a smile finding its way to his face as he saw Duke and the others coming up behind him. The smile however, slid into a slight frown when he caught sight of the blonde woman behind Lady Jaye.

"How . . .?" The word left the medic's lips without him realizing it.

The sound of their teammate's voice drew the attention of the other Joes, the small knot of soldiers turning their eyes to his puzzled face.

"What..." Rebecca began, looking toward Lifeline, then towards the woman near Lady Jaye, and finally her gaze turned back to the identical woman standing beside her, rifle not showing any sign of lowering anytime soon.

Dropping his weapon down to his side, Gung Ho reached out to slap Duke on the shoulder. "If you guys ain't a sight for sore eyes."

A smile on her face, Lady Jaye passed by the two men to meet Scarlett, the red-head meeting the other female Joe half-way.

Behind Lady Jaye came Nina Hutchinson, the young woman glancing about nervously at the assembled group. Low Light trailed in next, the gruff marksman giving Gung Ho a nod as his eyes swept over the others further down the hall, his gaze falling on the close-cropped blonde and young African American woman that were a few feet back from Lifeline and his companion.

"You lying bitch," the blonde near Strong hissed, her grip on her rifle white-knuckled.

"What's going on here?" Duke asked, his icy gaze going from one close-cropped blonde to the other.

"Apparently we seem to have one too many Nina Hutchinsons." Scarlett replied, her eyes never leaving the woman standing not far behind her commanding officer. "There's the real one, who we found here," she continued on. "And then there is someone who has been masquerading as Nina Hutchinson for the past six months or so."

"Ruddy Joes." Gone was the mid-western American accent of Nina Hutchinson. The voice that issued from the blonde was Australian, the tone hard.

"So you mean...the Hutch we've been workin' with...was a fake?" Strong asked, her tone incredulous.

Hutchinson nodded tersely, stepping around Strong and moving forward.

"She's a Cobra spy," Scarlett said glancing back at the others for a second before turning her attention back to the blonde woman.

That statement was enough to bring just about every weapon present up on the now unmasked spy.

"Took ya long enough," the young woman spit out. "Stupid Joes."

"So that's how they did it..." Rebecca whispered softly, shaking her head.

Lifeline glanced at the young woman next to him for a moment before turning his attention back to the "fake" Nine Hutchinson.

"Drop your weapon and put your hands up, Zarana," Scarlett ordered the blonde woman, recognizing the voice and accent immediately.

"You're all gonna die here," the imposter said. "And so will the rest of the Joes once Coen's little hitchhiker is fully activated."

Rebecca's eyes widened. "What do you mean? What did you do?" She asked.

"Wouldn't you like to know," the blonde replied with a contemptuous sneer.

"Enough!" Duke's voice boomed out, echoing a bit in the corridor. "Scarlett, you and Low Light get her in custody. The rest of you, get ready to move out."

There were nods all around, and everyone hefted backpacks, and got ready to move out. Hutchinson looked just this side of furious, and lowered her weapon, but didn't take her eyes off Zarana, even at Duke's order; after having her identity stolen from her by the woman, she wasn't trusting the other woman to go into custody easily.

As Scarlett and Low Light moved towards the imposter, she reached into her fatigue jacket and pulled something out. "Hate to disappoint ya, Guv'nor, but ain't nobody takin' me anywhere."

Hutch's gun came up again immediately, trained unwaveringly on the woman. "Don't move another fucking muscle, or so help me God, I'll blow your fucking head off," She barked.

Everyone seemed to freeze at the tone in the blonde woman's voice, even Zarana, though a slow cold smile curled up the corners of her mouth, her hand still beneath her jacket. "What's got you so angry? Didn't like your little stay at the zombie hotel? And here I told'em to give ya the best cell."

"Fuck you," Hutchinson spat, the angry flush creeping up her neck starting to encroach on her face now.

"No thanks luv, you're not my type."

"Thank god for small favors," Hutch snapped back. "Now, hands out where I can see 'em."

Zarana looked at the other woman for a few long moments, the Cobra agent deliberately trying to provoke Hutchinson.

"You heard the lady, Zarana." Duke's icy voice cut in.

"The _lady_?" The woman laughed. "Are you sure about that?"

Hutch didn't let the comment phase her; she hadn't gotten to where she was in the Marine Corps by being soft. "Hands out where I can see them," She repeated.

Slowly Zarana did as she was instructed, slipping her hand back out from under her fatigue jacket and then bringing both her hands up to show that they were empty. "Happy?" she asked Hutchinson.

"Better," Hutchinson replied.

"Scarlett, Low Light, get her cuffed up." Duke barked out. "The rest of of you, let's get ready to move out." Low Light moved towards Zarana, the marksman being closest.

"Not today, blondie." Zarana dropped her hand, the same one that had been inside her jacket earler, a thin glass tube sliding down from her sleeve and into the palm of her hand. "But ain't nobody taking me anywhere." With a slight gesture of her hand, she tossed the cylinder to the ground, the glass shattering on impact. Immediately a pale mist begin to issue from the broken tube, which grew thicker and more dense as it mixed with the air in the corridor.

It didn't take long for it to obscure Hutchinson's vision, and she knew she couldn't risk firing a shot, for fear of hitting one of the Joes. Swearing sharply, she slung the gun back over her shoulder and took off sprinting toward Zarana. "You're not getting off that easy, you bitch," she growled.

The smoke wasn't poisonous, just obscuring and disorienting. However, those closest to the device, Scarlett, Low Light and Duke, found themselves coughing heavily from the chemical smell of it.

"Hutchinson!" Lifeline called out to the rescued woman, the medic reaching out to try and stop her as she passed him.

"L-Lieutenant..." Scarlett managed to call out as well in-between bouts of coughing.

Hutchinson evaded Lifeline's grab, but only barely and by pure luck, her focus wholly on Zarana as she threaded around the Joes, and surged forward to try and get ahold of the woman who had stolen her face. The imposter was taken back a bit in surprise, but managed to recover in time to fend off the real Hutchinson and jump back from her reach. "Get back here, you whore!" Hutchinson snapped, the brief adrenaline surge that had carried her this far starting to wane a bit. "I'm not done with you yet."

"Not today, luv." Zarana said with a mocking smile. "Maybe some other time. I've had me fill of Joes for today."

The smoke was starting to get to Hutchinson then, the woman having inhaled deeply of it during her sprint, and a heavy coughing fit only added to the factors slowing the woman down. "God...goddammit..." One hand went to her mouth as she coughed.

The smoke was also having an effect on the rest of the Joes, all of them coughing heavily as they tried to see through the heavy fog surrounding them. There was another mocking laugh from somewhere within the dense folds of the smoke. "Enjoy your tomb, G.I. Joe!" With the barest hint of movement, the shadow that had been Zarana disappeared into the mist.

Hutchinson swore between coughs, trying to clear the air around her, stumbling back toward the others as she did. Lifeline hurried from his place by Rebecca's side and forward towards the others, his hand over his mouth and nose. The medic began to cough heavily as he neared the others, reaching out to herd them down the hall where the smoke was less dense. "...down the hall...move..."

Rebecca, finally shaking herself from her state of shock, moved to help Lifeline get the others away from the smoke. It took a few minutes to get everyone down the hall, Lifeline finding an empty office in which to herd everyone away from the smoke and closing the door once everyone was inside. "Is everyone all right?" Rebecca asked once every one was inside and the door was firmly closed.

Despite the coughing still going on, there was a round of nods from those inside the room. Edwin had taken his med kit from his back and opened it, the medic unpacking a breathing mask which he then attached to a small cylinder of oxygen. Moving around the room, Lifeline gave everyone a quick once over, and a few deep inhales from the oxygen cylinder. That seemed to clear things up and once everyone was taken care of, Rebecca looked at Hutchinson again. "Do you know where the emergency exit is from this facility? Have you ever heard any of the workers talk about one?"

Hutchinson raked a hand through her short hair and frowned a little in thought. Still coughing a bit, Scarlett moved over closer to Rebecca and Hutchinson, her blue eyes falling on the blonde woman. "Anything at all that you can remember would help."

"I dunno about an emergency exit, but I remember there was a separate tunnel they used to take the experiments through when they were taking them out of the lab...I guess they used to use it when Lakeview was still up and running."

Scarlett nodded her head. "Do you have any idea where it is?"

After a few moments of silence, Hutchinson shook her head. "No, they never really said."

Rebecca thought about that for a few moments, then looked over at Hutchinson. "Were they taking live subjects through that tunnel?"

Hutchinson blinked. "Huh?"

Scarlett looked at Rebecca, tilting her red head a bit in puzzlement. Feeling the eyes on her made the medic blush a little. "The only reason I'm asking is because there's a pretty good chance it...might be in the morgue..."

As tough as the blue-eyed Joe was, that particular thought sent a shiver down Scarlett's spine. "I can't really say one way or the other," Hutchinson replied. "Although I don't think I like the idea of going in there..."

"You and me both," Scarlett said to Hutchinson as she laid a hand on the blonde's shoulder while she looked at Rebecca. "Sounds like continuing on as we have been is the way to go, although I'll leave that up to Duke, now that he's here." That said, all eyes turned to the blonde.

The blue-eyed man was standing nearby, listening to the conversation and merely nodded his head in agreement with Scarlett. Despite outranking her, this had originally been her mission, and Duke intended to let her continue leading it. Sliding her hand away from Hutchinson, Scarlett turned away from her and Rebecca and made her way over towards Lifeline, the medic repacking his medkit. "How is everyone?" she asked him.

Edwin looked up at the red-head. "Some minor irritation from the smoke bomb, but nothing serious," he replied, his eyes going back to the kit as he closed the lid and locked it.

Scarlett nodded her head before turning to look at the others. "Time to get moving people," she said as she slung the strap of her laser rifle up on her shoulder.

Once they were moving again, Rebecca found her mind drifting back to the imposter's words. "Enjoy your tomb" usually meant bad things coming from anyone, but knowing they were in an Umbrella base made it downright scary, and she bit her lower lip, grateful for the brisk pace they were moving at.

* * *

As she moved through the silent corridor, Zarana swore silently to herself, cursing first the Joes, then Nina Hutchinson, and then finally the Baroness for dangling enough money in front of her that the mercenary had been unable to resist taking the mission.

At first, the job had been like taking the proverbial taking of candy from a baby. All she had been required to do was ingratiate herself into Billy Coen's good graces under the guise of the indispensable Nina Hutchinson before springing the trap that would awaken the Trojan Horse parasite that had been planted inside of him. The initial activation had gone without a hitch with the mercenary watching gleefully as the Joes locked down and quarantined the base, all the while unaware that the real threat to them was just beginning to stir.

Zarana had, for some slight perverse reason of her own, wanted to see the complete activation of the parasite and the Joe's reaction when they finally realized just what they had in their midst. As she crept down the hall, her finger on the trigger of her Joe issued laser rifle, Zarana couldn't help but curse Nina Hutchinson once again, still unable to believe that the woman was still alive. _It won't matter,_ she thought to herself. _They'll all be dead soon enough._ The thought brought a cold smile to her lips, and with renewed purpose, she stepped up her pace.

* * *

The door to the morgue was as featureless and sterile-looking as most of the rest of the installation had been, the word 'MORGUE' stenciled in bold, black letters. Rebecca stood silently in front of that door with the other Joes, and couldn't help but wonder if all of this had really been worth it. She wasn't alone in her thoughts either, she knew.

Lifeline felt a shiver go down his spine as he looked at the door, his own thoughts running along the same lines as Rebecca's. The team's trek there had not been an uneventful one, with the group happening upon a small handful of the zombie-like creatures who had deteriorated to the point that they could do little more than use the fleshless fingers of their skeletal hands to scrabble and pull themselves along the tiled floor of the corridor. With no sign of emotion on his face, Low Light had quickly dispatched the creatures with clean clear shots to the head, releasing them finally to death. A quick glance at Duke had shown that the big blonde had not been totally unaffected by the sight, his lips in a tight line as he icy blue eyes regarded the corpses of the creatures before stepping past them.

"Are you sure about this, Scarlett?" Gung Ho asked, the Cajun's dark eyes flicking from the steel door to the petite woman.

Scarlett's expression was a bit grave as she surveyed the door. "No, but we really don't seem to have much choice."

"Let me take point?" Strong said softly, stepping up. "I'm shorter than most of y'all, and if anything comes out swinging, they'll probably be expecting someone taller."

Scarlett looked at the younger woman, her lips parting to speak only to close moments later as she caught sight of something in Kenya Strong's eyes. Silently, she nodded her head at Strong. "Gung Ho, you and Low Light bring up the rear, the rest of us same order as before. Shoot first, ask questions later."

As soon as she saw the nod, Strong hefted her rifle and reached forward. The knob stuck at first, but a second press against the lever-style doorknob did the trick and the door swung open on almost silent hinges. As it did, the familiar stench of death and decay wafted out into the hallway and Strong swallowed hard as she stepped into the room. It was dim in here, but not dark, and fairly easy to see. There didn't seem to be any mobile corpses in the room right at first, although there were some suspicious noises coming from a stack of body bags, most of them occupied, in the corner.

Her laser rifle up and ready, Scarlett followed Kenya, Lady Jaye right behind her, the brunette woman carrying a javelin in hand and a laser pistol in the other. On silent feet, the others fell into step, passing through the doorway and into the dim nauseating room beyond, Lifeline, Rebecca and Nina Hutchinson sandwiched between them.

As the group made their way into the room, a few more of the lights flickered on, triggered by motion sensors. Clearly, the overhead lights were meant to be temporary, when staff were moving about, but the most constant light was provided by the lamp hanging over the single examination table in the center of the room. "Smells like a damn charnel house," Gung Ho mumbled, the large man cautiously eyeing the body bags off to the side.

"You'd think with as damn much money as they make, those sons of bitches could afford decent refrigeration units," Hutchinson grumbled.

"Likely they were one of the first things that failed when the electricity started giving out," Rebecca replied. "Let's just hurry and look around and see if we can't find an exit or something? If there's one in here, then it probably won't show on any maps."

"Everybody pair off and look around, but don't go too far," Scarlett instructed as she stepped closer to Kenya.

Strong looked up at Scarlett as she stepped closer, then started glancing around the room. "Okay, if I were a secret passage, or a door that didn't wanna be noticed, where would I hide?" she murmured softly, mostly to herself.

Hutchinson, meanwhile was keeping close to Gung Ho, keeping her weapon trained on the body bags as Rebecca looked at Edwin. "C'mon, let's check over there," she murmured, motioning toward some of the more securely closed refrigeration doors.

Lifeline nodded his head and followed the young woman while Duke and Lady Jaye moved off in the opposite direction, leaving Low Light to keep in eye out for possible company near the door.

At first, the search turned up nothing. Frustrated, Hutchinson looked around the room and fought off the urge to swear. "Of course," She murmured, then looked at Gung Ho. "Cover me for just a sec, would you?"

"Sure thing, little lady." the big man said with a slight nod as he watched the blonde woman curiously.

Stepping carefully around the body bags, Hutchinson bit her lower lip and tried to get a look behind the hospital-style screen they were stacked up near. Behind it were a few file cabinets, more body bags that were blessedly empty, and a small, nondescript door. "I think I found it," she called back to the big man.

Making his way around the black rubber bags, Gung Ho squeezed in next to Hutchinson. "I'll be damned..."

"It makes sense, they'd keep the bags close to the door," Hutch said, shaking her head in disgust. "Just like you do in your own apartment before you make a trip to the dumpster."

"Lady," Gung Ho said with a slight shake of his bald head. "You sure got a way with words."

"Sir," Hutch replied, smiling faintly. "You ain't heard the half of it."

"Gung Ho!" Duke's voice called out. "Did you find something?"

Stepping past Gung Ho, Hutchinson spoke again. "Sir, I believe we've found an exit."

The young woman's statement, caught the attention of the others, and they began to make their way over. As they did, Strong kept her weapon trained on the body bags as one of them shifted slightly. The small group gathered around, Low Light even leaving his place near the door to join them. The bag slid a bit, and then was still, a product of inertia, rather than harmful intent. "So, who does the honors?" Hutchinson asked softly.

"I will," Strong replied quietly.

Stepping back, the others cleared a path for the young woman. Strong stepped forward, and made her way over to the door. She didn't hesitate; in fact, she didn't dare to. Not with Zarana's parting words still ringing in her ears. Almost collectively, the rest of the team held their breath even as they brought their weapons up, ready to fire. The door opened into a dark hallway, and Strong reached off to the side, flicking a light switch near the door. There was a low hum, and suddenly the corridor was washed in bright, almost antiseptic light. More than one finger tightened on a trigger as the lights flickered on, but the Joes were too well trained to shoot blindly and held their shots. Lifeline let out the breath he had been holding, his shoulder sagging a bit in relief when it appeared as if the corridor was empty.

Satisfied by that, Strong stepped into the hallway and began slowly making her way forward.

* * *

While the Joes where making their way out of the morgue, Zarana was putting the Baroness' last set of orders into motion. Seated in front of one of the massive consoles in the lab's main control room, the young woman pulled a set of dog tags from underneath her t-shirt, having discarded the light kevlar armor that she had been wearing. On the gunmetal ball chain, inbetween the two tags, was a plastic key card not much bigger than the tags themselves. Giving the chain a good hard yank, she broke it and slipped it from her neck. Sliding off the tags and the plastic card, she tossed the dog tags on top of the discarded armor leaving the key card in her hand. Reaching with her other hand, she flipped the top off a square red button and inserted the key card.

Almost immediately, the console flared to life as well as several closed circuit screens that showed various parts of the Lakeview complex. Glancing at the screens, Zarana was momentarily disappointed to not see the Joes. Shrugging, the young woman turned her attention back to the console, her fingers working deftly as she set the facility's self destruct code.


	13. Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Thirteen

 

The trip down the corridor was far too quiet for Kenya Strong's tastes, but she was grateful for it. It wasn't that she was afraid, at least, no more afraid than she had been all along. She just wanted to get the others to safety. Hopper had died protecting her, dammit, and she planned on protecting the others now, as a way of paying forward his bravery. Behind her, Nina Hutchinson walked, equally pensive. Although she had never met the others before this day, she felt comfortable among them, and found herself wishing they might all have met under better circumstances.

As the group moved, Scarlett had dropped back a bit to walk alongside Duke, the two of them speaking in hushed tones, with the red-head continuing her tale of their trek through Lakeview, including the loss of Raphael Hopper. Scarlett listened quietly, while Duke told her of his team discovering the pilot's body and their own small battle with the infected spiders. Knowing the red-head as well as he did, Duke could tell from Scarlett's manner that the Hopper's death had affected her a great deal and he reached out to give her a light momentary squeeze on her shoulder. The blue-eyed woman glanced up at Duke before turning her gaze to Kenya Strong's back.

* * *

Finishing the sequence that the Baroness had given her, Zarana turned the key card clockwise, locking it into place. "Time to say nighty night, G.I. Joe," she said with a small smile as she rose from the console. "Hope you enjoy hell." With a laugh she punched a button just above the key card, setting the sequence into motion.

* * *

 

"SELF-DESTRUCT SEQUENCE INITIATED. PLEASE PROCEED TO ALL EMERGENCY EXITS. SELF-DESTRUCT SEQUENCE INITIATED--"

Strong nearly jumped out of her skin when the light overhead suddenly flashed red, and an eerily calm voice came over speakers that crackled. "Jesus Fucking Christ!" She swore.

"What's going on?" Edwin asked, also startled by the sudden alarm.

"Zarana!" Scarlett all but snarled out the mercenary's name.

Rebecca's heart sank. "We have to hurry," she said quickly. "In my experience, they usually don't leave much time before the explosion."

"Alright people, move it!" Duke's voiced boomed out, the tone firm and authoritative. No one needed to be told twice, and what started as a hustle turned into an all-out run.

As the group hustled down the hallway, Edwin would occasionally glance at Nina Hutchinson, checking on the former captive, ready to jump to her assistance if needed. Beside him, Rebecca did the same, mentally timing how long it had been since the alerts began, trying to guess how long they had. It was nerve-wracking to say the least. Heedless of Lifeline or Rebecca's concern for Hutchinson, Duke urged the group on pushing them to go faster.

Still, adrenaline could only carry a person so far, and when Hutchinson began to slow, Rebecca fell into step next to her, her gun drawn. As the other end of their exit came into view, Rebecca felt a brief burst of relief, right before something lashed out at her, knocking her down and starting to drag her backwards.

Rebecca shrieked, turning onto her back and freezing as her eyes fell on her attacker. It was a young woman, glassy eyes staring straight forwards, her movements jerky, hesitant, and all too familiar. Even if the movements hadn't stirred up bad memories, the whipping, snapping cords of muscles snaking out from a bloody wound in the woman's back certainly did. "Oh god..." she breathed.

"Rebecca!" Edwin called out the young woman's name. Slipping the med kit from his back, he took it by the straps, preparing to lash out with it when he saw her attacker. Unconsciously, the medic hesitated when he saw that it was a woman.

The woman's eyes stared at him without seeing, as several of the long tentacles lashed out, wrapping around Rebecca's ankles and starting to drag her along the floor, back down the corridor and away from the exit. Rebecca shrieked again, her gun abandoned in a sudden, frantic need to just _get away_. Hutchinson looked back at the sound of the shriek. "Shit!"

At the young sergeant's exclamation, Duke and others, who were already at the the door turned, catching a glimpse of Rebecca as she was dragged away.

"Rebecca!" Edwin called out once again, pulling himself back together as he started after her and the shuffling creature. Rebecca's green eyes were frantic as she looked at Edwin and the others, pleading and frightened. She clawed desperately at the floor, trying to find some kind of purchase on the smooth concrete floor, but could find none.

The moment Strong saw it, she shook her head. "Aw no," She whispered, her heart clenching. "Not again..." As she spoke she started heading toward them.

"Scarlett! You and the others go on ahead. I'll go with Strong after Lifeline and Doctor Chambers," Duke said hurriedly as he started after the young sharpshooter.

"Duke..." the red head started to protest.

"That's an order," the blonde man shot back, the self destruct warning still issuing from the speaker system in the hallway.

Standing next to Scarlett, Lady Jaye put her hand on the other woman's arm. "We don't have much time," she said. "We've got to go."

Mutely, Scarlett nodded her head, her blue gaze following Duke's big frame as he ran back down the corridor. "Low Light! Gung Ho! Hutchinson!" she called out after a moment, "Let's go!"

As the others turned to go, Rebecca felt herself hauled bodily up off the floor, two more tentacles wrapping around her upper arms, halting her dead in her tracks. She couldn't move, couldn't think, couldn't even bring herself to scream again. The only thought that kept running through her mind made her shake. _I'm going to die..._

"Rebecca!" Once again Edwin called out the young woman's name, the medic only few yards away as she was leveled up off the floor. The med kit still clutched tight in his hands, he skidded to a halt and swung it with all his strength, hurling it at the creature holding Rebecca captive.

With a growl, the woman's arm came up and batted the med kit to the side. There was the sickening crunch of grinding bone, but the hold on Rebecca didn't loosen. Seemingly pleased with its captive, the woman-creature began shuffling back down the hallway into the installation. "Oh, god, no," Rebecca said, her voice growing louder and more frantic with each word. "Please, no!"

Edwin swore to himself, a string of words that would have made Billy Coen proud had he been present to hear them, as he took off after Rebecca and the retreating creature, the young woman's cries going right to the heart of him. He had promised Billy that he would look out for the former S.T.A.R.S. medic, giving his word to the Marine that he would do everything he could to keep her safe and he had meant it. As he ran, his arm brushed against the holster on his hip that held Billy's coveted Magnum.

The creature became aware of its pursuers and turned slowly, several more of the deadly ropes of muscle lashing out at Lifeline, trying to discourage him from getting any closer. Rebecca screamed as she was jerked to the side suddenly by the creature's turn, still struggling to free herself.

"Lifeline!" Duke's voice called out to the medic as he watched the creature bat away the med kit.

"What...what the fuck is that thing?" Strong asked as the med kit bounced to the side and came to a halt.

"Rebecca! Hold on!" Edwin yelled as he jumped to avoid being hit by one of the lashing muscled cords. Unlike Billy, the creature infecting the woman in front of him held no reservations about attacking him.

Running alongside Kenya Strong, Duke's mouth compressed into a tight line, Rebecca Chambers' and Lifeline's descriptions of the creature that had manifested from Billy Coen in the forefront of his mind, but he remained silent.

The lack of reply didn't settle Strong's mind any, but she brushed the thought aside and kept running. Rebecca, swinging perilously in the air, looked at Lifeline. Time was getting precious and they were losing ground. "You don't have time for this!" she screamed, her heart sinking as she did. "You've got to get out of here!"

"I can't leave you here!" the medic yelled back, dancing around to avoid the creature's whipping tentacles once again.

"You're not going to be able to get close enough!" Rebecca felt tears in her eyes and fought against them as she tried to struggle out of her own pack. She still had the info they had come here to find, and be damned if she was going to let it disappear with her.

Unstrapping his helmet, Lifeline pulled it off and lobbed it at the creature. "I'm not leaving here without you!" Again, the hurled item was batted out of the way, and the creature hissed at the medic, lashing out at him again.

"There isn't time!" Rebecca shrieked again as another tentacle wrapped itself around her throat and she reached up, gripping at it, trying to keep it from cutting off her air.

"Rebecca!" Edwin screamed as the tentacle tightened around the young woman's neck. "NO!" Before he realized what he was doing, Billy's Magnum was in his hand, the weight of the gun heavy and unfamiliar as he raised it at the creature.

Rebecca's eyes widened a little. She had never seen the business end of Billy's Magnum. Truth be told, she wasn't sure she ever wanted to again. The creature seemed to realize the danger it was now in, and it dropped Rebecca, sending several of the tentacles whipping forward for Edwin.

With both hands now gripping the handle of the gun, Lifeline trained it on the creature, his whole body trembling as it turned towards him. Watching the creature as it began to slowly moved towards him, all the medic could see was Billy, the Marine's face contorted in pain while his body shuffled forward, whipping tentacles snapping in the air around him.

"Lifeline!" Duke yelled out the medic's name as the red-clad form seemed to freeze before the oncoming creature.

"Lifeline!" Rebecca screamed, trying to scramble out of the way, one of the whipping tentacles knocking her hard into a wall, knocking the breath from her.

The young woman's voice broke through whatever spell had fallen over the medic, pulling him back to reality and he cried out Rebecca's name once again as she slumped against the wall. With shaking hands, Edwin's finger tightened on the trigger of the gun as he squeezed his eyes shut. The recoil from the shot was more than he had been prepared for, the Magnum much more powerful than the Joe-issued Baretta that he was required to test with yearly and he stumbled back a few steps, almost tangling up his feet as his boots slid on the concrete floor of the corridor.

His staggering pulled the shot up higher than it should have been, and instead of striking the center of mass, the creature's head exploded in a shower of blood and brain matter. Rebecca scrambled out of the way, pale and shaking as she half ran, half crawled her way over to Edwin again. Lifeline's body began to tremble even more as his dark gaze fell on the remains of the creature, some of which were now splattering the front of his red and white uniform as well as his face and hair. The Magnum fell from nerveless shaking hands as the medic slid to his knees, his eyes riveted on the body several feet away. Rebecca skidded to a stop on her knees beside him, picking up the Magnum and tucking it in her own holster. "Lifeline," she said, her tone soft but urgent. "Come on...we have to get out of here..." Wordlessly, the medic looked up at the young woman, his face pale, his expression shell shocked. "I'm sorry..." she whispered, reaching down and taking his hands in hers. She was still pale, her hands shaking as she gripped his. "And I know... but we've gotta go..." She was barely aware as Strong and Duke reached them, her attention fully on the shell-shocked medic in front of her.

Duke swore as he skidded to a halt next to the kneeling pair, having seen the medic go down after firing off the shot that had killed the creature.

Edwin's dark eyes locked on Rebecca's green gaze, it was several long moments before he seemed to get himself under some semblance of control, the trembling easing somewhat as he swallowed. Closing his eyes for a moment, he took a deep breath before opening them back up. Wordlessly, he nodded his dark head at the young woman. "C'mon," she urged softly, rising to her feet and giving his hands a gentle tug, her gaze flicking momentarily to Duke and Strong.

"Lifeline," Duke said, his tone once again taking on that tone of authority that would brook no argument. "On your feet, we've got to move out before this place blows."

Glancing up at the big blonde man, Edwin nodded his head. "Y-Yes S-Sir..." he managed to get out as he pulled his hands from Rebecca's hold and rose to his feet.

With a nod, Duke looked at Strong and Rebecca. "Let's move it."

Wordlessly, the four of them ran, already beginning to hear explosions from deeper within the facility. Rebecca's heart skipped a beat at the sound, and she pressed herself harder, fear and adrenaline feeding her a kind of energy even Duke's tone could not have produced. Strong kept to the rear of the group, keeping her gun tightly in hand and prepared to blow the shit out of _anything_ else that tried to stop them. Running alongside Rebecca, Edwin did so as an automaton, putting one foot in front of the other without any thought. The realization of what he had just done was the only thing on his mind.

The explosions were getting louder and closer as they neared the door the others had exited through earlier, and they passed through the door and found themselves in one of Lakeview's dilapidated rooms, the broken windows admitting a cool breeze, the pale of dawn breaking. Rebecca didn't give them a chance to even consider relaxing. "We need to be airborne, Duke, and fast," She said quickly.

The blonde nodded his head, the grim expression that he had been wearing throughout most of the trek through Lakeview still on his face. "I'm sure Scarlett and the others are on it already," he said as another explosion rocked the facility.

Rebecca only nodded and said nothing more, letting the whole of her concentration go toward keeping her on her feet and moving. Luckily, the rest of their retreating team had already left a path for them so to speak, with several discarded gurneys piled up against the wall underneath one of the broken windows, a makeshift ladder of sorts. "Strong, you and the doctor go first. Lifeline and I will follow you. Once you hit the ground, don't stop running for anything, you got that?" Duke looked at each of the women in turn as he spoke. "We landed right next to the other chopper at the front of the building, so make your way there."

"Understood, Sir," Strong said, and looked at Rebecca. "C'mon, Doc."

Rebecca gave a slight nod, and the two women began scrambling up the makeshift ladder. Duke and Lifeline watched the pair as they made their way and out through the broken window. As the two men started to move to follow them, another explosion rocked the floor underneath their feet, causing them to sway a bit and fight to keep their balance. "C'mon," Duke said as he hurried over and began to climb. "I don't think there's much time left before this place blows." Silently, Edwin nodded waiting until the big blonde had reached the window before beginning to climb.

The women were already a decent distance ahead of the two men, and Rebecca decided that there were few sights as beautiful to her as the sight of the chopper that meant freedom. Seeing it was what gave her the last push of energy she needed, and she and Strong reached it with no further delay.

"Doctor!" Scarlett hailed Rebecca and Kenya Strong as they reached the choppers. "Where are Duke and Lifeline?" she immediately asked, her blue eyes scanning the area that the two women had come from.

"They're coming," Rebecca panted softly. "They should be right behind us."

"Duke told us to come on ahead," Strong chimed in.

Lady Jaye, meanwhile, was in the pilot's seat of the second chopper, already running through the preflight checklist, Gung Ho strapped into the seat next to her. Scarlett nodded her head. "Get in and strap down. We're airborne as soon as they get here," she ordered while her eyes once again strayed towards Lakeview, the sound of an explosion ringing out from the building.

At almost the same time, the figures of Duke and Lifeline emerged from around the side of the former institution, the two men running for all they were worth towards the waiting choppers.

By the time all of them were inside and strapped down, and the choppers began to lift up into the air, the ground was rocked by several more explosions, with the largest of them turning Lakeview's namesake into a massive geyser. Rebecca, watching from the chopper, slumped wearily in her seat.

Sitting next to Rebecca, Edwin's dark eyes were fixed on his lap, the medic saying not a word since he had climbed into the helicopter after Duke and strapped himself in. Taking over Hopper's place in the pilot's seat, Scarlett flew alongside the other chopper carrying Lady Jaye, Gung Ho, Low Light and Nina Hutchinson. As the copters turned a bit to the west, there was another bright explosion, the building that had once been the Lakeview Institution for the Criminally Insane crumbling in on itself in it's aftermath.

Rebecca looked over at Edwin after a time and reached out, touching his arm gently. "Thank you," she whispered. Lifeline slowly raised his head, his dark eyes glancing at the young woman soundlessly for a few moments before dropping away. Rebecca gave Lifeline's arm a gentle squeeze, before dropping her hand away and staring out the window again. Not for the first time since their mission began, she wondered if one man was really worth everything they had just gone through.


	14. Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fourteen

 

Marcel Hancock leaned back in his chair, sighed softly, and raked a hand through his short-cropped hair. It felt like a week since Strong, Hopper and the others had left The Pit with Doctor Chambers and Lifeline, heading out to an old, defunct mental asylum to try and hunt down information. He didn't know a lot about it, admittedly. Just that the information was crucial to figuring out what was wrong with Lieutenant Billy Coen, in the hopes of coming up with some kind of treatment for the man. Since he had already seen just what was wandering around in the Marine's system, he became the logical choice to remain behind and keep an eye on him.

It hadn't been all bad. Although clearly restless and edgy, Billy was a relatively easy patient to get along with. He knew there was no leaving the containment lab, but Hancock had been given permission to bring him magazines, paperwork, and other small things to help keep the man occupied. At the moment, Billy was stretched out on the bed, flipping through the latest issue of _Custom Tuner_ , a magazine that specialized in customized muscle cars and trucks.

The silence of the lab was interrupted a few moments later by the slightly shrill beeping of the phone on the monitoring console. The pattern of the beeps indicating that the call was originating from somewhere within the sprawling G. I. Joe complex. The sound made Hancock jump, startlingly loud in the silence. Billy looked up and Hancock shook his head as he lifted the receiver and put it to his ear. "Containment lab."

"Hancock?" The voice was female, and familiar. "Sorenson. We need you up here ASAP."

"Is... it really all right to leave the patient alone?" Hancock asked, glancing nervously at Billy, who had heard the conversation and made his way over to the window to be closer to the intercom speaker.

"I've got somebody coming down to relieve you. She's on her way now."

"Understood, Lieutenant."

"High tail it up here as soon as she gets there," Sorenson instructed.

"Yes, Ma'am," Hancock said. The other end of the line clicked off without a further word.

As soon as Hancock set down the receiver, he heard Billy's voice. "What's going on?"

"I'm not sure yet, Sir. They're pulling me back up to the infirmary. My relief'll be here in a minute or two."

Almost as if on cue, the door slid open, admitting a slightly harried looking young redhead. "I'm here to relieve you," she started. "Lieutenant Sorenson was supposed to call..."

Hancock nodded, standing, and Billy moved silently away from the window, a worried frown creasing his forehead as he heard the sound of footsteps as Hancock headed out of the room and for the Infirmary, alternating between a brisk walk and an outright run.

As the door slid closed, the young woman turned to regard the dark-haired man behind the glass. All she had been told was to just sit with Lieutenant Coen and that he was under no circumstances to leave the containment lab. When he knew the young woman was close enough to hear him without raising his voice, he spoke. "What's going on out there?"

The red-head jumped a bit in surprise at being addressed. "I-In – incoming, Sir."

Billy's frown deepened. "How bad?"

"I don't know," the young woman responded. "It's Lifeline and the others."

* * *

The area in front of the hangar began to swarm with activity as the two Tomahawks landed. As soon as they were able, the medical crews moved in, helping the passengers down and immediately ushering them into vehicles to be taken to the infirmary in the main complex building.

It was Marcel Hancock who went to Rebecca, helping the doctor down from the chopper and escorting her to a waiting ambulance. Once she was safely ensconced inside, he signalled the driver before settling down to look at the blossoming bruises on Rebecca's neck. Rebecca tried to wave him off, but it was a half-hearted attempt at best. Hancock, however, was not to be deterred. "With all due respect, Ma'am," He said. "I need to make sure there's no broken skin."

She didn't argue again after that, simply gave Hancock a numb little nod.

Amidst the flurry of activity around the landed choppers, Lifeline was one of the last to disembark. Sliding down to the ground, he edged his way around the Tomahawk, out of the way of the waiting medical team as they tended towards the others. His presence did not go completely unnoticed however, as Scarlett caught sight of the medic while she was being ushered into one of the waiting vehicles. The red-head's eyes were gentle as she looked at the medic, having heard the story of what happened after she and the others had escaped from Lakeview from Duke during the flight back to Joe Headquarters.

Edwin was numb, his dark eyes haunted, his nostrils full of the sharp metallic tang of blood. All through the flight back, he had sat quiet, immobile, and oblivious to everything but the realization of what he had done. Looking down at his hands, Lifeline's stomach recoiled, the backs liberally speckled with drops of dark rust, the now dried remains of the Trojan Horse carrier, which also spotted his face, the front of his uniform and matted his dark hair. That sight, coupled with the smell and his own horror were more than enough to bring the medic to his knees, with Edwin sagging down to the ground as he started to retch.

There were a few cries of alarm as Lifeline went down, with several of the waiting medical personnel rushing forward to aid him. "Sir!" It was Lydia Sorenson who reached him first, the young blonde woman going down to her knees beside him, her eyes widening as she took in the medic's gore spattered appearance and unusually pale face.

Down on his hands and knees, Lifeline emptied the meager contents of his stomach on the tarmac, a sickly yellowish bile that burned his throat and brought tears to his eyes. The muscles in Edwin's abdomen had begun to hurt by the time the retching became nothing more than dry heaves, his whole body trembling as he felt his arms begin to buckle under him.

"I need some help over here!" Sorenson yelled as she slid her gloved hands around Lifeline to keep him from falling over. Within seconds, the medic felt several more pairs of hands on him, and then he was lifted, put on a gurney and rushed to one of the waiting ambulances. Lydia Sorenson climbed in right after, the young nurse tying a surgical mask around her face as she did so. "Move it, soldier!" she barked to the driver. "Now!" Within seconds the ambulance was pulling away from the hangar, it's lights and siren going full tilt.

* * *

As a precaution, the returning Joes and Rebecca Chambers were all placed in quarantine after any receiving necessary medical treatment. Three of the four remaining containment units were hurriedly prepared which meant a flurry of activity on the floor around the unit where Billy Coen was being housed. One unit was set up for the female members of the returing teams, one for the men, and a separate one for Lifeline. It was decided that the medic should be kept separately since, unlike the others, he had exhbited signs of illness.

While things were being moved in and out of the other units, an orderly stopped momentarily to speak with the nurse that was monitoring Billy, giving her a brief run down of what was going on and to let her know that someone would be around to relieve her as soon as the quarantined Joes were situated. The two spoke at the door quietly while people and equipment passed back and forth in the hallway.

Their tones were low enough that Billy couldn't hear most of what had been said, and what little he managed to catch only worried him more. He had been watching and listening to the activity with a deep-rooted anxiety that made him nauseous and edgy. After the orderly departed, the young woman returned to her place at the montitoring console, glancing briefly at the dark-haired man behind the glass as she did so. "What the hell's going on out there?" Billy asked, not bothering to move away from the speaker or the glass, or even try to act like he had not been trying to listen.

Once again, the nurse jumped a bit at the sound of his voice. "Uh... the other labs, Sir . . ." she started. "They're going to use them for quarantine, too."

"Just a routine quarantine, or do we have potential carriers?" Billy's already-present frown deepened a little.

"Just a few days, Sir." the girl replied. "For observation."

Billy relaxed just a little at that, and nodded. "I see."

"Private Hancock will probably know more when he comes back down," the nurse offered up.

"I'll just have to wait 'til he does, then..." Billy moved away from the observation window then, making his way back toward the bed and trying not to let his imagination run too wildly out of control.

* * *

It was a couple hours later, however, before Marcel Hancock made his return to Billy's containment cell, the young medic looking a bit the worse for wear. The red-headed nurse wasted no time in leaving once he appeared, quite happy to get back upstairs to the infirmary. Billy was up and moving again as soon as he heard Hancock enter, but he found himself reluctant to say anything when he saw how shaken his medic was. "Hancock?"

"S-sir?" Hancock looked up and blinked. "I'm sorry, Sir, I didn't see you standing there."

"It's all right. Wanna fill me in on what's going on?"

"Sir, I..." Hancock shook his head. "I can't yet, Sir." Billy's curiousity was driving him half out of his mind at that point, but something in the tone of Hancock's voice made him remain silent. His chest clenched, and he felt his stomach sink. "All I can say," the young medic said after a few quiet moments, "is that everybody has been quarantined for observation while the lab runs their blood work. Doctor Chambers got a little roughed up by something, but she seems to be okay. No wounds or broken skin."

"That's a relief... sounds like they found a little more than they bargained for..." Billy murmured, as much to himself as to the other young man.

There was an almost imperceptible nod of Hancock's head. "They're using three of the other labs to house everybody."

"... Let me know if anything comes up, will you?" Billy asked softly.

"Yes, Sir." the young man said with a nod before starting to move towards the console.

* * *

The quarantine only lasted for forty-eight hours, which was forty-seven hours too long if you had asked Gung Ho. The big Cajun had been restless, not to mention quite vocal about being cooped up "like a chimp in the zoo", until Duke had grown frustrated and ordered the Marine to sit down and shut up. Meanwhile, in the lab where the women were being housed, the atmosphere was relatively quiet. Scarlett used the time to question Nina Hutchinson further about the Lakeview facility and what had happened to her, allowing the young blonde woman to answer at her own pace without any pressure.

Hutchinson was willing enough to talk, dividing her time between answering Scarlett's questions, and getting to know Kenya Strong, when Strong was actually willing to even acknowledge her. Unfortunately, there really wasn't much to tell to her story. After her transport was intercepted by Cobra agents, she and the few others travelling with her were taken to the Lakeview Facility, to be used as test subjects. She really didn't know much more than that, until the outbreak had begun, and eventually swept through the whole facility.

While Scarlett and Hutchinson talked, Lady Jaye quietly listened in, ocassionally interjecting a question here or there to clarify something. From what the young woman could tell them, there had definitely been a Cobra presence at the facility, with Hutchinson having seen the blue-clad soldiers several times during her incarceration. The young blonde had also been able to provide them with a list of names of those who had also been captured with her so that their families could be notified.

When the tale was finished, Hutchinson fell quiet, left to her own thoughts. While the others spoke, and Strong brooded, Rebecca Chambers listened to the talk going on around her with half an ear. Still aching from her attack, still overwhelmed with guilt over all the losses the others had sustained, she said little and generally just tried to keep out of the way in the small room.

* * *

Although he had been washed and given clean clothing, Lifeline thought that he could still smell blood and feel the dark dried stains of it on his skin. There had been no further episodes of vomiting after he had been cleaned up and placed in the containment lab for quarantine. Of course, part of the reason for that could have been that he had not eaten anything, either. The sight and smell of food made him feel nauseated and he just couldn't bring himself to eat.

All the medic seemed to do was lie in bed, saying little with that same haunted look in his dark eyes that he had been carrying since shooting the female Trojan Horse carrier at Lakeview. During those times when he could actually fall asleep, he almost always awoke with a start, his heart pounding in his chest, his body trembling and sweat soaked. The dreams were always the same, the female carrier replaced by Billy Coen's dark-haired form, the Marine shuffling towards him, tentacles snapping around him as he whispered Edwin's name, reaching out towards the medic with grasping hands before shots rang out – shots from a gun held in Lifeline's hand. After the first few such dreams, the medic had curled up afterwards, his well cut frame shaking as he cried.

When the results of the blood screenings came back clean, none of the returning group had contracted any of the known Umbrella viruses or parasites in the CDC's databank, they were all released from quarantine and returned to duty.

Once freed of the confines of the containment lab, Rebecca immediately retreated to the room she had been given upon her original arrival. While she was worried about Lifeline, and really wanted to see him, her guilt got the better of her, and she just wanted desperately to get out of sight completely for a little while.

* * *

Like Rebecca, Edwin disappeared from public view as well. After witnessing Lifeline's near breakdown after the shooting of the female creature at Lakeview and his behavior afterwards, Duke had requested that Psyche-Out see the medic, giving the resident Joe psychologist a brief overview of what had happened. Psyche-Out visited Lifeline twice during the short quarantine period, the two men talking quietly for about an hour or so. Once the quarantine had been lifted, and on Psyche-Out's recommendation, the medic was given some time off before having to report back to duty full time.

Strong, in the meantime, was spending time with Hutchinson, talking things over very carefully with the woman. After having had a taste of a real outbreak, she was starting to have second thoughts about having signed up for the taskforce. After several hours of talking with Hutch, she finally agreed to give it a little time, and let things return to some semblance of normalacy before she decided for sure.

The rest of the Joes reported back as required, Duke and Scarlett meeting with General Hawk personally to apprise him of what had happened. Their commander had shaken his head sadly at hearing of the death of Raphael Hopper and of the missing members of Nina Hutchinson's squad, who were more than likely also deceased. Hawk had also briefly inquired about Rebecca Chambers, and if they had managed to find anything that might be of some use in curing Devil Dog. Scarlett reported that they had recovered a file with the Marine's name on it but that the information had yet to be thoroughly gone through.

After General Hawk's departure, Scarlett excused herself and headed towards the elevator. Her destination was the area of the containment labs, specifically the lab where Billy Coen, Devil Dog, was currently taking up residence. Since Hopper had been under her command when he had been killed, the red-head felt that it was her duty to inform Billy of his death. It wasn't a task that she was looking forward to, but one that she knew she had to undertake.

Stepping into the outer chamber of the lab, Scarlett immediately caught sight of Marcel Hancock, the young medic seated at the monitoring console to her right. Hancock looked up at Scarlett's entrance, and rose from his chair, snapping into a salute. "Ma'am," He said quietly.

"At ease, Corporal." Scarlett said, favoring the young man with a small smile.

The medic relaxed, but didn't return the smile. "Are you here to speak with the Lieutenant?"

"Yes," she replied with a slight nod of her head. "Alone, if you wouldn't mind waiting outside."

"I'm not really supposed to leave him unattended, but... I suppose he isn't if you're there." Hancock nodded. "Yes, Ma'am. I'll be right outside."

"Thank you, Corporal."

Giving Scarlett a quick salute, Hancock headed out of the room, letting the door slide silently shut behind him. Once the door was securely shut, Scarlett stepped closer to the observation glass, her blue eyes falling on the dark haired man behind the glass. Billy was awake, clearly restless as he flipped through a magazine without really seeing it, anxious for some kind of news as to just what was going on outside the containment lab he had been in for what felt like an eternity. Scarlett raised her hand and knocked on the glass as hard as she could. Due to the thickness however, the sound came through as only muffled thumps. The Marine's eyes snapped up immediately at the sound, hand dropping for a gun he wasn't carrying, groping for a knife equally absent before he realized what he was doing and his hands dropped. Sighing softly, he made his way from the bed, over to the speaker. Scarlett watched Billy, shaking her head a bit at his actions. "Expectng trouble?" she asked through the comm system.

"Always," Billy replied evenly.

"How're you feeling?"

"Like a mushroom, right at the moment," Billy said softly. "People are tiptoing around me, Scarlett, and that makes me edgy."

The blue-eyed woman nodded her head. "I know," she said quietly. "We retrieved a file from Lakeview," she said after a few moments. "I haven't looked at it, but Doctor Chambers thinks there might be something in it."

"That's something. Are she and Lifeline and the others okay?"

Scarlett looked at Billy for a few moments before answering. "As well as they can be under the circumstances."

A frown creased Billy's face. "... What happened?"

The redhead regarded the Marine for a few moments before starting to speak, quietly narrating the mission to Billy, the seasoned Joe even faltering a bit as she told him of Raphael Hopper's death. She spoke of the zombies and other creatures that they had encountered, the discovery of the real Nina Hutchinson and the unmasking of Zarana, before ending with their escape from the facility and their return to Joe Headquarters.

Billy blinked, his eyes dropping away from Scarlett as he was informed about Hopper. Suddenly, Hancock's earlier silence and refusal to talk to him made a lot more sense, and he couldn't blame the medic. "Jesus..." He breathed softly.

Finished, Scarlett sat down in the chair that had been vacated by Marcel Hancock upon her arrival. "I know he was one of yours, Devil Dog...I'm sorry."

Billy couldn't reply to that, sagging a little against the observation window and running his hand through his hair. His knees were threatening to buckle and he fought against the urge fiercely. He felt hot tears trying to find their way to his face and shoved those aside, too. He was a soldier after all.

Soldiers didn't cry.

He settled for covering his face with one hand as he tried to get his wildly rocking emotions under control, half turning his back to the window. Scarlett was quiet for several long moments before she spoke again, her tone soft. "Tomorrow...I'm going personally to inform his family." she said.

"You shouldn't have to do that, Scarlett...he's one of mine, like you said." Billy was surprised at just how calm and level his voice was.

The redhead nodded a bit. "But he was under my command, and... it's not really fair to his family to leave them hanging until you're able to do it."

"True..." Billy nodded. "...All right."

Scarlett sat quietly for a few moments, her blue eyes on the Marine before she slowly rose to her feet. Billy let his hand drop away from his face when he heard movement, and turned toward the red-head. "Don't be too hard on Hancock," she said. "I asked him not to say anything. I felt that I owed it to you to tell you myself."

"It's all right, I understand," Billy replied softly. "I'd have probably done the same thing."

Scarlett took a few steps towards the door. "If you want to write something for Hopper's family, I can take it with me tomorrow if you like."

Billy nodded. "I will..." He said quietly.

Scarlett nodded her head a bit, regarding Billy silently for a moment or two before continuing on to the door, the reinforced steel sliding open before closing with a faint hiss once she passed through it.

Hancock looked up as she stepped out into the hall, his expression questioning. The redhead said nothing, merely nodded her head to the unasked question before continuing down the hallway and the elevator. The young Corporal watched her go, and remained near the door for several long minutes. He knew the Lieutenant would need a little time alone, and Hancock knew better than to intrude on that too early.

* * *

After being released from quarantine, Edwin had left headquarters almost immediately and gone back to his condominium, wanting nothing more at that moment then to get away from the base. Upon closing the front door, the medic once again found his dark eyes falling on Billy's black cowboy hat, hanging on the wall and felt something clench in his chest. He squeezed his eyes closed for a moment before turning away and moving to sit down on the couch.

Even though it was the middle of the day, the room was shadowed, the drapes that covered the front windows still drawn. Removing his glasses, Edwin rubbed his other hand over his face, pressing his palm against his forehead as he rested his elbow on his knee.

The first couple of days passed one into the other, with the medic never leaving the apartment. The drapes remained closed, the television and stereo off, the only sign that the condo might be inhabited was Lifeline's vehicle parked in the lot outside. Edwin wandered from room to room, falling asleep here and there if he sat too long. Eating was something that he remembered to do every now and then, although he still felt a little nauseous afterwards and needed to lie down while his stomach quelled a bit.

Sometimes, as he sat in the living room, Edwin's eyes would settle on Billy's hat, his mind recalling different times that he had seen the Marine wearing it. Other times, he would fall asleep in the bedroom, waking up to find himself wrapped around one of the pillows from Billy's side of the bed. Ocassionally Lifeline would think on the conversations that he and Psyche-Out had had before he had been released. The psychologist had offered him a prescription for Xanax, but the medic had refused; although there were times, especially after being jolted awake by a nightmare, that Edwin would wonder if maybe he had been a bit hasty in his refusal.

Day segued into night, with Lifeline losing track of time within the confines of his still shadowed apartment, his mind and sleep full of jumbled images.


	15. Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Fifteen

 

While Lifeline endured his self-imposed exile, Rebecca Chambers had thrown herself headfirst into working through the file retrieved from Lakeview. She read it over and over, fitting it up against Billy's medical files on record with the Joes. Like Lifeline, she slept little and ate less, occupied only with making absolutely sure she had all of her information as correct and perfect as she could humanly make it before she took her findings to anyone. Luckily for her, she had been more or less left alone by the Joes. Hutchinson came to check on her now and again, as did Hancock when he could be spared. But for the most part, she had been left completely to her own devices. Part of this time had involved a trip down to see Billy, to tell him what she could, and see to returning his Magnum to him.

The talk they had was a quiet one, and she told him everything that had happened. Billy knew most of it, of course, but he hadn't heard as much about Edwin killing the Trojan Horse carrier they'd found in Lakeview, and felt a twist in his stomach when he heard that the medic had been forced to use the Magnum, though it made Billy feel a hell of a lot better for insisting that Edwin take it. Finally, Rebecca left him, and returned to her own work again, checking and double-checking what she'd found. Once she was absolutely certain she was right, and that the information was true, she had gone looking for Lifeline. Sorenson had been the one to inform her that Lifeline wasn't there, having been given some days off to recover before returning to active duty.

That in mind, she had gone to speak briefly with Billy, getting directions to the condo that Edwin owned. It hadn't taken much to convince someone to take her into town.   Strong didn't know the area well, but she knew enough to get Rebecca into town. Once there, Rebecca rented a car and headed for the medic's condo. Now, with Billy's Lakeview file tucked under her arm, she strode up the stairs and toward Edwin's front door. She wasn't sure how her arrival would be welcomed, but the nature of her news might make up for it. Rebecca hesitated at the door, looked down at the files in her hand, then looked back up at the door and reached out, rapping sharply on it.

* * *

Lifeline was dozing, stretched across the rumpled bed, feeling physically and emotionally exhausted after a nightmare-filled night that had kept him awake until the sun rose. The muffled sound of Rebecca's knocking permeated Edwin's sleep fogged brain and with a small sound he slowly opened his dark eyes, blinking them against the light in the room.

When the first knock didn't gain a response, Rebecca knocked again, more loudly this time. _C'mon, Lifeline, please be home,_ she thought fervently.

The second knock drew the medic up off the bed, Edwin's fingers rubbing at his eyes as he shuffled out to the living room and towards the front door. After unlocking it, he slowly opened it a bit and looked out into the hallway. Rebecca blinked a little. "Hi," she said softly.

Lifeline was barefoot and without his glasses, his jaw darkened by several days worth of stubble while his dark hair was mussed. He was dressed in a pair of light brown plaid flannel pajama bottoms and a plain white t-shirt. "R-R...Rebecca..." Edwin's voice was soft and a bit hoarse, he had not spoken aloud since he had gotten home.

Rebecca was struck speechless by how terrible Edwin looked, and she felt a stab of guilt; although she knew she probably didn't look much better. Although spared the indiginity of stubble, her hair was lank and unwashed, her own clothing rumpled and her coloring less ruddy than usual after going so long with infrequent meals. Not that she figured Edwin could tell without his glasses. Truth be told, she was grateful for it.

"What...what are you doing here?" Lifeline asked. "How did you know where I lived?"

"Billy...he told me how to get here," Rebecca replied, wondering for a moment if she should have waited until Lifeline came back to base. Still, there was no turning back now, she knew. "I needed to talk to you..."

The medic regarded the young woman silently for a few moments. "I, uh..." Edwin hesitated, fully aware of what he probably looked like to Rebecca.

"It's important," Rebecca replied when Edwin hesitated, her tone soft. Lifeline nodded his dark head a bit before pulling the door open wider for Rebecca. As soon as the door was open enough for Rebecca to fit through, she slipped inside, clearly not wanting to give Lifeline a chance to change his mind. "I'm sorry to intrude like this," She said softly.

The medic silently nodded his head once again as he closed the door. "I uh...I wasn't expecting anyone..." he said as he stepped away and towards the sofa, moving to pick up a blanket that was lying on it before straightening up the throw pillows. "Uhm...please, have a seat."

"Thank you," Rebecca said softly , walking over and sinking into the sofa, laying the file that was under her arm in her lap, her eyes casting about the condo.

"Sorry the place is such a mess," Edwin said as he haphazardly folded the blanket. "Like I said, I wasn't expecting anyone."

"It's all right," Rebecca said.

Edwin moved to the chair across from the sofa and set the blanket down on the back of it, but remained standing. "How – how is Billy?" he asked softly.

"He seemed okay, when I went to talk to him. He's been worried about you, though he's been trying really hard not to show it much."

"I uh...I didn't get a chance to see him before I left the base."

Rebecca's eyes lowered to the file in her lap and she nodded.

"Can I get you something?" Edwin asked after a lengthy silence.

"N-no, that's all right," Rebecca said. "I don't want to inconvenience you more than I already have." The medic dropped his dark eyes, feeling slightly chastised. "...I've been going over the file we got from Lakeview," Rebecca pressed on, looking up when Edwin didn't speak again.

The words caught Lifeline's attention and he looked up at the young woman. "And?"

"I think we may have a way to deal with the parasite..."

The medic stepped over to the couch and sat down next to Rebecca. "A way to cure Billy?"

"I...don't know about cure. But at least disable the parasite, and keep it from trying to completely take him over." Rebecca looked over at Edwin as he sat down.

"How?"

"By destroying its brain. It's a T-Virus off-shoot, so the brain will be vulnerable."

Edwin's dark brows quirked together. "And leave it inside of him?"

It was Rebecca's turn to hesitate, and after a moment, she nodded. "I don't think it can be removed without extensive, possibly life-threatening, surgery."

Despite what hope he may have had to the contrary, the medic had seen the extent of the parasite's entrenchment in Billy's internal organs, and he knew that Rebecca was right. "How can you destroy its brain?"

"I...I found a notation in the file...um...will you be able to read anything without your glasses?" Rebecca ventured.

"Huh?" Edwin looked at Rebecca blankly for a moment before her words sank in. "Oh yeah, glasses..." He frowned a bit, not quite sure when or where he had had them last as he had been wandering around the apartment without them for the past couple of days. Abruptly he rose from the sofa and softly padded towards the bedroom where he kept a spare pair in the nightstand next to the bed.

As he headed for the bedroom, Rebecca swallowed against the urge to cry and looked down at the folder in her lap. Edwin's current state troubled her greatly, knowing he had come to this because of what he had been forced to do to save her life. That made her responsible, however indirectly, and that weighed heavily on her. She took a shuddering breath, and abruptly, her hands clenched and she closed her eyes, her head tilting forward to let her hair obscure her face.

Edwin fumbled in the nightstand drawer until he found the hardshell case that held his spare pair of glasses and carrried it back to the living room. The medic stopped in the doorway between the two rooms however as his eyes fell on Rebecca's seated form. His footsteps, silent since he was barefoot, kept Rebecca from hearing the medic as he returned. Even without that, she very likely wouldn't have heard him, her clenched fists shaking and hot tears crashing against the back of her eyelids. She had been fighting a breakdown like this since their return, and off and on before that. It seemed, however, that she was at the end of her rope. "Rebecca?" Edwin's voice was soft as he spoke her name, the medic stopping in front of her.

"I-I'm sorry, Edwin. I'm so sorry...it wasn't supposed to happen like this..." She said, then began sobbing softly, one hand raising to cover her face.

Lifleine felt something in his chest clench and he squeezed his eyes closed for a moment before sinking down on the couch next to the young woman. "Rebecca..." he whispered as he slipped his arms around her, pulling her into an embrace.

"I'm sorry..." She kept whispering, over and over like a mantra, very nearly curling up against Edwin like a child, startling herself with just how much she felt she needed that comfort.

The medic had been alone since their return to Joe Headquarters, and as he embraced Rebecca, he realized just how much he himself had been craving some comforting human contact as well. His dark eyelashes beading with moisture, Lifeline's fingers slid into Rebecca's hair, gently combing through the golden brown tresses. Without even thinking about it, Edwin bent his head a bit and pressed his lips to the top of Rebecca's head.

The fingers running into her hair helped soothe Rebecca some, but when she felt those lips on the top of her head, she looked up at Edwin, wiping ineffectually at the wet streaks on her cheeks. Edwin's glistening brown eyes met Rebecca's gaze, his fingers slipping from her hair so that he could cup the side of her face. It was almost reflex, the way her head tilted into that touch, but her eyes never left the medic's. Edwin leaned in closer to Rebecca, tilting his head a bit as he pressed his lips to hers. Rebecca's eyes widened a little as Edwin kissed her, her heart lodging itself somewhere in her throat, even as she felt herself returning it. A part of her mind was screaming at her to stop, but her body, it seemed, didn't want to listen.

Unconsciously, Lifeline's arm tightened around the young woman, the hand on the side of Rebecca's face once again returning to her hair as the medic cupped the back of her head. The kiss itself held no sexual conotations, but was instead something more along the lines of a need to fill a deep seated need for some kind of comforting contact. A shade of Rebecca's uneasiness melted away when the kiss remained chaste, and after a moment she shifted, her arms found themselves circling the medic, hugging Edwin, hands clenching in his shirt.

A soft sound escaped from Lifeline as Rebecca pressed closer to him, his larger frame beginning tremble a bit. While Rebecca's lithe arms weren't the ones that he had been so desperately needing to feel, he nevertheless soaked up her warm comforting embrace. It was Rebecca who finally broke the kiss, and laid her forehead against Edwin's chest, her arms tightening again. Her heart was pounding hard in her chest, and she bit her lower lip hard. Edwin tilted his head and laid his cheek on Rebecca's hair, glistening tears escaping from his dark eyes.

Fresh tears broke from Rebecca's eyes, and she bit her lip harder to keep from sobbing, simply clinging to Lifeline like his namesake. She didn't want to look up at him at that moment, wasn't sure she wanted to see what she would find in those coffee-colored eyes. Edwin closed his eyes, sniffing a bit as he tried to get himself under control, though he made no move to loosen his hold on Rebecca. She didn't seem inclined to relinquish the embrace either, although she released Edwin's shirt, her hands aching from having been holding the fabric so tightly for so long. "I – I thought I was past all this crying..." the medic said softly after a bit, trying to make a joke, but failing miserably.

Rebecca uttered a weak laugh and shook her head slightly. "Well, at least you don't have to worry about smearing your makeup," she whispered back, her own attempt at a joke.

"But then again, I've never had a nervous breakdown before either..." Edwin whispered, the tone of his voice clearly indicating that he was not joking.

"That's pretty impressive," Rebecca replied, looking up and meeting Edwin's eyes for the first time. "Considering everything I know you've been through."

"I think I may have finally reached my limit." he said softly, dropping his eyes.

"Edwin..." Rebecca's tone was soft, and her arms around the man tightened a little again. "I'm sorry...I'm so sorry..."

"It's not your fault, Rebecca," Edwin said, his fingers once again combing through the young woman's golden brown hair.

"I wish I could convince myself of that," she murmured, closing her eyes as Edwin's fingers slid through her hair.

"I'm a soldier...I – I did what I had to do..." the medic said softly, his voice cracking slightly.

Opening her eyes again, Rebecca reached up and touched Edwin's cheek gently. "T-thank you...for saving my life," she murmured softly.

Lifeline's dark eyes welled up once again as he looked at Rebecca. "Billy would have had my ass if I had let anything happen to you."

"And he'd have had mine if anything had happened to _you_ ," She replied with a tentative smile, trying not to let herself tear up again at the look on Edwin's face.

The medic's dark eyes slid closed as he exhaled a weary sounding breath. Rebecca gave Edwin another hard hug, then pulled back a little and looked up at him. "Um...do you...possibly have a bathroom I can borrow?" she asked softly.

Lifeline opened his eyes, blinking a little as he looked at Rebecca. "Oh...uh...yeah..." he replied as he released her from his arms.

"Thanks," she said, giving the medic a tiny smile.

"Its through here," Edwin said as he rose to his feet and started towards the bedroom.

Rebecca rose to her feet, continuing to look around at the condo as they walked. This place, she knew from her talks with Billy, had become something of a safe-haven for the two of them away from base. And she couldn't help but feel somewhat like an interloper there, walking into the bedroom she knew the two of them shared.

Like the living room, the curtains in the bedroom were pulled closed, casting most of the room in a dim light despite the small lamp burning on one of the nightstands. There was a television on a stand across from the bed, which was rumpled, the comforter partially draped on the carpeted floor. As the pair passed a tall chest of drawers, Rebecca noticed a framed picture of a young boy resting on top of it, something about the child's grin reminding her of Billy. Reaching the bathroom, Edwin stepped just inside the doorframe and turned on the light. "Here," he said, stepping back out of the way.

Rebecca looked up from where she had been looking at the picture, and she smiled a bit. "Thank you," She said softly, then glanced back at the photo. "Who's...who's this?" she asked.

"Billy's son," The medic answered, smiling a bit.  "Robby."

She blinked. "He has a son?"

Edwin's dark brows crooked together. "You didn't know?"

Rebecca shook her head. "No. I only knew Billy for a day...not even a full day, really," She replied softly.

"He's uh..." the medic thought for a moment. "Twelve, I think now; although I think that was last year's school picture."

"He's going to break hearts when he's in high school," She said softly, then shook her head and looked at Edwin. "Excuse me," She said, and walked past the medic and into the bathroom.

Leaving the bedroom, Edwin made his way back into the living room, rubbing his hand over his face. _I've got to pull myself together..._ he said to himself as he sat down on the couch, only to get up a moment later as he realized he was sitting on something. Looking down, the medic saw the folder that Rebecca had been carrying, and stuck between the cushions of the sofa, the case with his spare pair of glasses. Reaching down, he picked the items up. As his hand touched the folder, the memory of the kiss that he and Rebecca had shared hit him full force. "Oh my god..." Edwin felt the heat of the blush that flamed his cheeks as he abruptly sat down. _No wonder she's hiding out in the bathroom..._

The medic's dark eyes dropped to the folder in his hand. Opening the case, he pulled out the glasses and settled them on his face before opening the folder.

* * *

Rebecca, in the meantime, was sitting in the bathroom, running her hands through her hair and trying to pull herself together. There was a part of her that urged her to get out of the condo as quickly as she could, leave this place where she was intruding on Billy and Edwin and what they had built together. Her lips were still tingling from the unexpected kiss, however chaste, and that only served to strengthen that argument. There was another part of her, however, that knew she had to discuss her findings with Edwin, and they could do so more freely here than they ever would have been able to on base.

* * *

Out in the living room, Edwin had become lost in the contents of the folder, more than once his hand going to his mouth as he read, the medic even having to stop every now and then to regroup before continuing on. "God, Billy..." without realizing it, he murmured the Marine's name as he read a particularly lurid description of the effects of the parasite's intrusion and take-over of its host body and the excruciating pain that it caused.

* * *

Rebecca sighed softly and finally clenched her hands together. _You are not a child anymore, Rebecca Chambers,_ she thought harshly. _Now pull it together, and get your job done._

* * *

Turning the pages within the folder, Edwin came across one that had been flagged with a blue sticky note, the words _Potential Treatment, Intensity-Modulated Radiation Therapy?_ scrawled on it. The medic frowned a bit as he stared at the words. Rebecca had talked herself out of the bathroom at that point, and came back out into the living room in time to see Edwin frown. "What is it?"

The medic started a bit, having been so engrossed in the file's contents. Looking up at Rebecca, he couldn't help blushing a bit. "Oh, uh...there's a note stuck in here. Something about a potential treatment. In..." he glanced back down at the folder. "Intensity-Modulated Radiation Therapy."

Rebecca nodded. "So far, it's looking like it might be the only way to deal with the parasite," She said quietly.

"What is it?" Edwin asked. "I don't think I've heard the term before."

"I hadn't either before this, but I've been doing a little looking into it. It's an advanced mode of high-precision radiotherapy that utilizes computer-controlled x-ray accelerators to deliver precise radiation doses to a malignant tumor or specific areas within the tumor. The radiation dose is designed to conform to the shape of the tumor by modulating the intensity of the radiation beam to focus a higher radiation dose to the tumor while minimizing radiation exposure to surrounding normal tissues. They plan treatments by using CT images of the patient in conjunction with computerized dose calculations to determine the dose intensity pattern that will best conform to the tumor shape. They've been using it to treat cancers of the prostate, head and neck, breast, thyroid and lung, as well as in gynecologic, liver and brain tumors and lymphomas and sarcomas," Rebecca went on. "It could just as easily be used to target the brainmass of the parasite, and disable it. At least, I don't see any reason why it couldn't."

Lifeline glanced back down at the blue note. "Leave it brain dead..." he said softly, as if to himself.

"Exactly."

"And Billy would be alright?" he asked, looking back up at the young woman.

"He might experience pain during the treatment, since the parasite's integrated into his nervous system as well as his organs, but he'll come out of it unharmed, yes. The targeting has to be very precise, though."

"Do we even know where it's brain is?"

Rebecca nodded again, and walked over to sit beside Edwin, picking up the file and flipping back a bit. "Right here," She said, pointing to another notation that had been handwritten in the file. "It would seem the brainmass develops near the host's heart. The idea behind it, I think...was to allow the host to remain functional, even after a fatal head wound." Rebecca's voice cracked a little. "It...was something they had been working on as early as the Tyrant project..."

"His heart?" Edwin shook his dark head a bit. "I don't know Rebecca..."

"I know it's risky, but we don't have much choice..." Rebecca said softly.

The medic lapsed into silence for a few moments. "Have you told him about this yet?" he asked.

Shaking her head, Rebecca replied. "I wanted to talk to you about it first."

"I wouldn't even know where to get something like that, assuming that we even could," Edwin said quiety. "Maybe a research hospital..." he mused. "More than likely we'd have to take him off-base."

"And that would be another reason why I haven't mentioned it to anyone else yet," Rebecca said, her own tone sounding weary. "I...seriously doubt Duke would allow it."

"Not if there was a possibility of that thing manifesting itself." Edwin agreed softly. "And if it realizes what were trying to do..."

Rebecca nodded. "The parasite is so advanced at this point..." She sighed. "We have to figure out something."

The medic shook his dark head slightly. "Damn it..." he said lowly. "There doesn't seem to be anything else we can do. This IMRT thing is the only lead we have."

"I can run the information by one or two contacts I have with the CDC. Maybe they know something I don't," Rebecca said. "In the meantime...all we can do is run what we've found by Duke and hope for the best..."

Edwin nodded slowly. "Hopefully he'll see reason."

* * *

"NO! Absolutely not." Duke's voice boomed out. The big blonde man was seated at his desk, his icy blue gaze fastened on the two people sitting across from him.

"But Duke..." Lifeline started, only to be cut off by his commanding officer.

"Save it Lifeline, the answer was no five seconds ago and it's still no now."

The blond's harsh tone had long ago silenced Rebecca completely, and with his answer now, she stood. "Sorry for wasting your time, Sir," She murmured, and slipped out of the room.

"Rebecca..." Edwin watched the young woman leave , calling out to her but to no avail. The medic turned his dark eyes back towards Duke. "This may be the only chance we have." he said. "I know it's risky, but..."

"What part of no don't you understand?" Duke asked. "You asked, I gave you my answer, that's it. End of story."

Edwin sat quietly, his gaze locked with the big blonde's for several moments before he spoke. "I could go over you and make an official medical request," he said, his tone firm despite the butterflies in his stomach. "Trust me, I don't want to do that."

Duke's jaw tightened. "Do you think this is easy for me?" he asked the medic. "He's a Joe, Lifeline – one of us. Even still, I can't risk it. He's too much of a threat. I _can't_ let him off this base."

The medic regarded the other man silently for a few moments before rising to his feet. "Sir," he said, giving Duke a salute before turning to leave.

"I'm sorry, Lifeline." The blonde said just before Edwin stepped out of the office.

* * *

The hallway was silent as Lifeline stepped out into it, Rebecca nowhere to be seen. Taking a few steps away from Duke's office, the medic paused for a few moments and closed his eyes, his hands clenching tightly at his sides. Today was Edwin's first day back after his week long "mental health" leave of absence; and, if his meeting with Duke and Rebecca were any indication of how things were going to go, it was going to be a long and difficult one.

Taking a few deep breaths, Lifeline opened his eyes and tried to relax a bit as he started down the hallway towards the stairwell, intent on returning to the Infirmary.

* * *

The pain was back again.

Billy wasn't quite sure when it had started again; he had very little concept of the passing of days in his small room. Unlike before, when the pain seemed to creep up on him and gave him some small semblance of warning, it now came on in a full, mind-numbing blaze that kept him bound to his bed, staring at the ceiling and praying it would end. He was just coming down out of one of those fits now, in fact, having had the pain wake him from a light, troubled sleep.

* * *

Lifeline stepped out of the elevator, his hands thrust into the pockets of the white lab coat that he was wearing over a set of standard issue fatigues as he made his way down the corridor. He had spent the past two hours in his office, trying to concentrate on the work that had been left sitting in his office and not making much headway. Everytime he had tried to focus his attention on the files and other paperwork in front of him, his mind would instead wander to Billy Coen and his earlier confrontation with Duke over moving the Marine. Finally, Edwin had given up, pushing his chair back from his desk and leaving his office, his feet automatically taking him to the elevator.

* * *

The door to the containment lab slid open, Lifeline stepping through the doorway a few moments later, the medic's gaze immediately going to the main monitoring console and the young man seated there. Marcel Hancock looked up as the door opened and gave Lifeline a tired smile. "Corporal," Edwin said, acknowledging the younger medic with a nod of his dark head.

"Sir," Hancock replied, standing and giving Edwin a quick salute. "Are you here to see the Lieutenant, Sir?"

"Yes," Lifeline replied, his eyes going to the reinforced glass that separated them from the room where Billy was being kept, searching for the Marine. "He's been in bed most of the day, Sir," Hancock said, settling back down into his seat. "But I don't think he's asleep."

Edwin nodded his head as he stepped closer to the glass, his gaze settling on the bed across the room on the other side. He could make out Billy's prone form in the dim light, the Marine lying on his back, his face turned away from the glass. The lights in the room were dim, but the Marine's skin gleamed even in that faint light. He was unaware of that, however, unaware of the scrutiny and mostly unaware of his surroundings as he waited for the last of the agony to recede, and the world to start reasserting itself again.

Lifeline frowned a bit as he turned toward Hancock. "Has he been alright?"

"As far as I can tell. He hasn't complained about anything. His signs have been a little erratic, but nothing like they were before." Hancock frowned faintly. "He hasn't been as active just lately, but I was figuring that simply being depression because of Hopper and everything."

"No complaints about pain?" Edwin asked as he turned his eyes back to the glass.

"None at all," Hancock replied. "Of course, he hasn't said more than two or three words to anyone since Scarlett came down to get that letter for Hopper's family. We considered administering anti-depressants, but we weren't sure what we could give him, so we've been holding off."

Lifeline nodded his head silently, his gaze still locked on Billy's prone form. Hancock said nothing more, unable to help the soft, nagging voice in the back of his head that worried he had done something wrong, or somehow hadn't done enough. He had been a field medic for awhile before getting chosen to join the Joes, but this was unlike anything he had ever dealt with before. "If you want to take a break," Edwin said after several minutes, turning towards the younger medic. "I'll keep an eye on Devil Dog."

"Thank you, Sir," Hancock said with a faint smile. "I imagine you're busy, so I won't be long."

"Take your time, Corporal," the medic said. "I'm sure you've earned it."

Hancock gave another salute, and headed out of the room. He was grateful for a chance to stretch his legs, and his feet took him away toward food, coffee, and company.

* * *

Once the door was solidly closed, Edwin turned his eyes back to the observation glass and the man on the other side. After a few moments, he moved to switch on the comm between the two chambers. "Hey, soldier boy," he said softly in the off chance that Hancock had been mistaken and Billy was asleep.

Billy shifted, his movements stiff, and slid off the bed. He smiled a little when he saw who was standing there. He hadn't really needed to see Edwin to know it was him; none of the other Joes would have dared called him 'soldier boy.' He flicked the comm on his side of the glass and replied. "Hey there."

Lifeline's lips quirked up into a faint smile. "Thought I better come down and see what kind of havoc you've wreaked in my absence."

Billy chuckled softly at that, and leaned against the edge of the observation window. "Afraid I might be molesting the nurses without you here to keep an eye on me?" He teased.

"I had this nagging idea that you might be behind the rise in unauthorized sponge baths that my female staff have been giving lately."

Billy actually coughed out a laugh at that, caught off-guard by Edwin's remark. "I'm a bad influence on you." He said, willingly rolling with the joke, enjoying the brief levity while it lasted. "And I'm pretty sure I don't have a damned idea what you're talking about."

"Like you'd own up to it, even if it was true." the medic said, his smile widening a bit before sliding away a few moments later.

Billy's own smile only held on for a few more seconds, before an echo of pain wiped it away. "So seriously, what's up?"

Edwin shook his head a bit. "I just wanted to see you," he said quietly.

"I've been worried about you," Billy said softly.

"That's supposed to be my line."

Billy lifted one shoulder in a shrug. "You're still allowed to be, I guess," he said. "But I heard about what happened..."

Edwin gave a barely imperceptible nod of his head. "I'm sorry about Hopper."

Billy's gaze dropped. "He knew the risks when he signed on," he said softly, although it was clear the words were more for his own comfort than truly sincere.

"We all did," the medic said. "But that doesn't make it any easier."

"I know..." Billy shook his head, falling silent. Edwin lapsed into silence as well, his head tilting downward a bit. "So...did you find whatever it was you were looking for?"

"Maybe," was the quiet reply, Lifeline not wanting to get Billy's hopes up especially after the medic's heated discussion with Duke earlier that day. Edwin wasn't quite ready to give up on the idea of taking Billy off base to attempt treatment, although he still had not convinced himself that going over Duke's head was the best option just yet. "We're still going through the files that we retrieved."

"Is Becca doing okay? I heard she got pretty roughed up before you rescued her."

Edwin nodded his dark head slightly. "A little...shell shocked, I guess you could say, although I guess we all kind of were." The medic's voice was soft as he spoke, his gaze once again sliding away from the Marine. "She seems to be okay."

"What about you?"

"I'm here," the medic replied quietly after a few moments.

"I'm sorry about all this, Edwin," Billy said quietly. "You've gone to a hell of a lot of trouble over me."

"Yeah, I have." Lifeline said as he looked up at the Marine, his dark eyes glistening. "And I've spent a good part of the past week asking myself if what I feel for you is worth what I've done." Edwin sniffed and closed his eyes against the tears welling in his eyes and turned his face to the side, leaving only his profile to the window. "And I'm still not sure of the answer." he said quietly.

Billy reached out, forgetting about the window until his hand came in contact with it. For a brief moment, his frustration left him wanting to strike the glass, but the agitation only brought a twinge of pain, and he forced himself to calm down. "Edwin..." He whispered. It was several long moments before the medic responded, turning his face back towards the window and opening his eyes, slowly bringing his chocolate brown gaze back to Billy's face on the other side of the glass. "I _will_ find a way to pay you back for all this," Billy murmured. "With interest..."

Edwin looked at the other man silently for a few minutes. "I...I should get back upstairs," he said softly. "I've got a ton of work piled on my desk."

"All right," Billy said. "Guess...I oughta let you get to it, then."

Lifeline made no attempt to move however. After a few minutes, he impulsively reached and put his palm on the glass. After a moment, Billy's hand came up, and he let his hand settle on the glass as well, his eyes meeting Edwin's as he did.

His coffee eyes locked with Billy's deep blue gaze, Edwin spoke. "Hold on for me," he said softly, his voice breaking slightly. "That's all I need, just for you to hold on until we can find a way to cure you."

Billy nodded, and mustered a weak smile. "For you...anything..." He whispered. The ghost of a smile quirked the corners of Lifeline's lips as he looked at the Marine. A few minutes later, he slid his palm from the glass.

After a few moments of silence, Billy spoke again. "Hurry, though," He said softly. "Something's...starting to happen again..."

"What?" Edwin asked, his entire countenance changing as a concerned look came over his face. "What's happened?"

"It's waking up again or something..."

"Jesus Christ, Billy." the medic said as he started towards the door that led to the inner chamber. "Why didn't you say something before?"

"Because when those attacks are hitting, I haven't been able to say much of anything at all...I was hoping maybe you'd be able to tell _me_ what the hell was happening."

"You could have said something to Hancock afterwards," Lifeline said as he pressed the automatic lock on the door, the reinforced steel sliding open seconds later, the medic passing through it and into the inner chamber with the Marine.

"I didn't want anybody freaking out."

"Lift up your shirt," Edwin ordered as he neared the other man. Billy nodded and lifted the a-shirt he was wearing.

The medic bent down and looked at the Marine's torso, searching for signs of the bruising that the parasite had caused during its earlier stage of development but not finding anything out of the ordinary. As he lightly prodded at Billy's back and abdomen, he felt the ripple of something under his fingertips as the parasite shifted beneath the blue-eyed man's skin. Billy flinched away from the touch a little. "How long has this been going on?" Edwin asked, looking up at the Marine.

"I honestly couldn't tell you," Billy replied. "It's hard to keep track down here."

Lifeline ran his fingertips over the skin of Billy's back, only to once again feel the push of distended flesh as the parasite slithered under the Marine's skin. Billy shivered. "Stop that, I can feel it moving..."

Edwin looked up at Billy for a moment before reaching and pulling the other man's shirt back down before he straightened up, a frown on his face. Billy retreated a step, leaning against the nearby wall, trying to ignore the shift and pull of skin as the parasite shifted again. "Billy?" Edwin stepped closer to the Marine.

"I'll be all right," Billy said. "It's just...moving around again..." Lifeline reached out and gently touched the side of Billy's face. "Do you have any idea at all what's happening to me right now?" Billy said softly.

"I – I'm not sure, but...I think it's going through another stage of development...growing a bit more...Rebecca has the file, I've only really had a chance to look through it once." Edwin responded.

"Think you can find out for me?"

His hand slipping away from the Marine's cheek, Lifeline reached for his wrist communicator. "Rebecca? Rebecca? Come in..."

Before their ill-fated trip to the Lakeview Hospital for the Criminally Insane, Dial Tone had outfitted the civillian doctor with a Joe-issued communicator and as far as Edwin knew, the young woman was still in possession of it. After a moment, the speaker crackled to life. "This is Rebecca, go ahead."

"It's Lifeline," the medic's eyes on Billy as he spoke. "Can you get down to Billy's room? There's something going on with the parasite."

"Give me five minutes." The words were hurried, almost distracted. "I've just gotta finish up something here and throw on some shoes."

"We'll be waiting." Lifeline flicked off his communicator, a faint frown on his face as he did so.

"I'll be glad when this is over and done with," Billy said softly. "I really hate it when you frown like that..."

Edwin's dark brown eyes softened as he looked at the other man, once again reaching up to touch the side of Billy's face while he tried unsuccessfully to muster up a small smile for the Marine.

Billy offered a tiny, shaky smile to the other man. "I promise I'm not always this high-maintenence," he whispered, trying to lighten the mood, if only a little. Billy's words had the desired effect, pulling a faint yet fleeting smile from the medic. "Edwin...I don't wanna ask this, but I gotta..." Billy's tone was very low. "Is...there really a way to get rid of this thing? Is there a cure?"

Lifeline looked at the blue eyed man silent for a few moments before he turned away a bit, his hand sliding away. "I..." he started, his eyes closing as he took a breath. "I...don't know," he said softly, his voice barely more than a whisper. "The file...its the only lead we have..."

"I see," Billy replied quietly.

"T-There was the mention of something that could be a possibility," the medic continued on. "I – I don't know how concrete it is."

"It's gotta work," Billy said, unaware he had spoken the words aloud.

Edwin turned towards the Marine, his cocoa brown eyes falling on Billy once again. "We won't give up," he said softly.

Billy met Edwin's gaze with his own. "I promised you I wouldn't," he said with a nod.

"We'll keep trying, until there's nothing left to try."

Their conversation cut off then, as Rebecca hurried into the room. "Sorry to keep you two waiting," she said, her eyes going immediately to Billy.

"I'm glad you're here," Edwin said as he turned towards the young woman.

"What's happening with the parasite?" Rebecca asked, smiling faintly at the greeting.

"It's apparently been moving around again." The medic answered. "Not that our favorite patient here told anyone."

"How long, Billy?" Rebecca asked, her green eyes snapping back to the other man again.

"Like I told him, I can't keep track down here."

"Rough estimate?"

"Couple days?"

Rebecca pinched the bridge of her nose. "Dammit, Billy, if you weren't a patient..."

"I'd be a corpse," Billy replied dryly. "Look, I didn't say anything because I didn't know it was entirely abnormal. It never really _stopped_ moving."

"Impossible Marine..." Edwin muttered very softly to himself. Billy caught the remark but said nothing.

Rebecca looked over at Edwin, and beckoned for him to follow her. "I don't have the file here with me, but I don't like this. I wanna take a look at his vitals."

Lifeline nodded in agreement, his eyes going back to Billy for a few moments before he started to follow the young woman. As soon as they were in the other room, and Rebecca satisfied herself that the speaker between the two rooms was off, she swore sharply. "What's wrong?" the medic asked, putting his back between the observation glass and Rebecca.

"I like him...but there are days I wanna slap him stupid," She replied, clearly frustrated. "Edwin, this parasite of his is acting strangely, even by the standards of an Umbrella creature."

"What do you mean?" Lifeline's brows quirked together as he looked at Rebecca intently.

"The semi-dormant states, the sudden growth spurts. None of this is in that file," She said, shaking her head. "It's like this thing is mutating...or something about Billy was sufficiently different from the other patients..."

"Or the file is incomplete?" Edwin offered up.

"Possibly," Rebecca admitted. "I've got a few contacts looking for information like I promised, but it could take a little time..."

"Which leaves the question, does he have a little time?"

Rebecca's shoulders sagged. "I don't know. He obviously hasn't had any more episodes like he did before the Lakeview trip...so I'd say his chances are good." Edwin said nothing, only nodded his dark head slightly. "However, I think we'd better keep a very close eye on him..." Rebecca looked troubled. "We may also have to report this to Duke."

"I don't see why," Lifeline said. "Everything has been pretty quiet."

"He also told us to keep him apprised of Billy's condition...although since, according to him, this has been ongoing..." she sighed. "Please don't take this the wrong way, but I think I'll be glad when this is done with. I hate dealing with politics."

"I hate dealing with all of it." the medic said quietly.

Rebecca paused, then shook her head. "I'm sorry...this has got to be the hardest on you..." She said.

Edwin shook his head slightly. "I don't care about myself, Rebecca."

"I know..." She said, glancing toward the window. "I'm worried about him, too."

"Sitting down here all day and night, by himself...I'm surprised he's been able to stand it this long."

"You and me both," Rebecca agreed softly.

"Asking Duke to let him out for a while would probably be a waste of time."

"On the other hand, I worry keeping him down here so long might be compromising his health...I can't tell if he's pale because of that...thing, or if he's pale because he hasn't seen the sun."

"Probably a little of both," the medic said.

"Probably..." Rebecca looked up at Edwin, then looked away again. "I don't know what's going to happen, Edwin. I know Duke wants this kept as quiet as possible, but there are people I've been having to report back to as well, and I'm not sure what actions, if any, _they'll_ take..."

Edwin nodded. "Somehow I wouldn't be surprised if he knew. You wouldn't believe how thorough Joe intelligence can be."

"You'd be surprised what I can bring myself to believe," Rebecca replied.

The medic smiled faintly for a moment. "I'd like to look at that file again."

"I've got it down in my quarters," She said. "It'll just take a second to grab. I'll be right back."

"I'll walk with you, if that's okay."

"Are you sure we should leave him alone?"

"I don't know," Lifeline said quietly after a few moments. "I don't know anything anymore." He looked away from the young woman.

They were saved from further debate on that subject, when Hancock returned, and offered both a tired smile. "I'm sorry that took so long, Sir." He said, addressing Lifeline.

"That's alright, Corporal," the medic said. "You're just in time."

Hancock nodded, giving Lifeline a salute, and Rebecca a polite nod, before returning to his seat at the console. Once he was settled, Rebecca looked at Lifeline. "C'mon," she said, and headed out of the room.

Edwin returned the younger man's salute. Turning slightly he glanced back at the observation glass before turning and falling into step behind Rebecca.

Rebecca was silent as they walked, her hands pushed deep into the pockets of her lab coat.


	16. Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Sixteen

 

In his office in the main building on the sprawling G.I. Joe base, Duke sat at his desk reading over various intelligence reports that had been forwarded to him regarding current Cobra activity. Halfway through the file, the blonde man found a report from Mainframe, the computer specialist following Duke's orders to trace all of Rebecca Chambers' computer usage and outside telephone calls. Scanning the list, the hard-eyed Joe field commander noticed that the civilian doctor had been communicating with her collegues at the CDC on a regular basis, which he didn't find to be unusual under the circumstances.

As he sat looking over the list, the phone on his desk began to ring, the sound shrill in the otherwise silent room. Without looking away from the report, Duke reached for the phone on the desk next to him and put the handset to his ear. "Duke, here."

"Ah, Duke. It's been quite some time, hasn't it?"

The papers dropped from the blonde's hand and he sat up in his chair. "Who is this?"

"You don't recognize me? I'm hurt." There was a soft chuckle. "But no matter. Who I am is not important at the moment. What is important is that you know I work for the same organization as Doctor Chambers. I have been kept up to date on the good Lieutenant's progress, and I'm afraid I simply won't be able to allow him to remain in your care."

Duke had, in fact, recognized the voice as the mysterious caller who had contacted him not long before Lifeline had discovered that Devil Dog had been infected with an Umbrella parasite. Dial Tone had tried to trace the call, but had come back with some small bar in Tijuana. He had reported to Duke that there was more than likely a random shunt in the phoneline, making it almost impossible to trace the call back to its actual source. It had frustrated the blonde to no end, and that frustration came back full-force now.

"Is that so?" The Joe field commander replied.

"Quite." The voice became icy. "There will an agent from STRATCOM's anti-Umbrella division coming to see you soon. His name is Bruce McGivern. He is to take custody of Lieutenant Coen."

"I don't think so," Duke's tone was just as cold. "People just don't walk on to my base."

"I would rather settle this amiably, Duke," The voice went on. "A bio-weapon such as Lieutenant Coen must be treated, if possible, and liquidated if not. You know the risks as well as I do. We cannot afford another Raccoon City."

The blonde's jaw tightened. Although the Joes had not been part of the force that had destroyed the infected city, Duke had heard about it first hand from some of those who had been. The look in the eyes of those soldiers as they had talked about the horrors they had seen had been more than enough to send a shiver down the big man's spine. "Without authorization from my commanding officer, I'm not releasing Devil Dog into anyone's custody."

"I would expect a call from him shortly," the voice went on. "Good day, Duke." And with that, the line went dead.

Duke let out a frustrated growl and he slammed the phone's handset back onto it's cradle. The look in his blue eyes enough to freeze water into ice. Lifting his wrist, the blonde flicked on his wrist communicator. "Mutt?"

"Mutt here, Duke." came the response a few beats later.

"I want you to locate Doctor Chambers."

"Right away," the K9 specialist replied.

"I want her in my office, on the double."

* * *

Edwin was in his small office in the Infirmary, sitting at his desk and seemingly staring off into space. The medic was still quite conflicted after hearing from Duke that Rebecca had, in the blonde's words, sold Devil Dog down the river to a group called STRATCOM – a group that the young doctor was apparently a part of as well.

Duke had of course promptly had Rebecca hauled into his office after he had received a phone call that had all but ordered him to turn custody of Billy Coen over to a STRATCOM agent who would be arriving at The Pit in a few days. Lifeline didn't know exactly what had happened between Duke and Rebecca, only that it had been quite loud and had resulted in the young woman being virtually confined to her quarters, unable to leave without a pre-arranged escort.

Billy himself had taken the news rather calmly. Too calmly, Edwin thought. He had said nothing, only merely nodded his head at Duke, who had come down to the containment lab personally to inform the Marine. Afterwards, Billy had merely turned away and retreated to his bed, sitting down on the edge of it without saying a word.

Though Rebecca had tried to warn Lifeline that something like this might happen, Edwin still couldn't help feeling slightly betrayed by the young woman. She alone knew about the hidden relationship between the medic and Devil Dog, as well as having acted as a sympathetic ear for both men, the two expressing their feelings and fears to her individually. As he sat there in his office, Edwin couldn't quell the fear that once the Marine was delivered into the STRATCOM agent's hands, the medic might never see Billy Coen again.

* * *

Bruce McGivern was used to people not being happy to see him. He suspected sometimes that's why he got assigned to the missions he did. Because he didn't care if people were happy to see him or not. And this assignment, he knew, was one of the most unique he had been given. All he knew was that he was to take custody of one Lieutenant William Coen, and the two doctors who had been in charge of caring for him. Doctor Chambers he knew, but the other was an unknown quantity.

Walking beside Mutt and a few MPs, Bruce's posture was casual, his expression unconcerned for his escort as he was ushered into a spartan and spotless office, his eyes falling on Duke and Rebecca. The young doctor was standing, the two chairs that were normally placed in front of Duke's desk for visitors, mysteriously missing. The Joe field commander himself was seated behind his desk, his back straight, his icy blue eyes immediately falling on Bruce as he passed through the doorway. Without a word, the MPs and Mutt saluted their commanding officer before departing, the K9 specialist closing the door as he exited the room. If the situation bothered Bruce, it didn't show. "I'll assume from the pomp and circumstance, and the matching death glare, that you're probably Duke," he said.

The big man neither confirmed nor denied his identity. "You are?"

The man tossed a small envelope on Duke's desk. "Agent Bruce McGivern, STRATCOM," he replied, his accented voice lilting softly. "I was told you'd be expecting me." Duke glanced down momentarily at the envelope before turning his blue eyes back to the agent. "I'm under orders to bring back the bio-weapon, as well as Doctor Chambers, and whichever other medic was in charge of his case," Bruce went on.

The last part of the agent's statement drew a reaction from the Joe field commander. "Aboslutely not," he said. "I was only told to relinquish Devil Dog and the Doctor, not any of my people."

Bruce indicated the envelope on the desk. "All the required authorization is in there, Sir," he said. "We need all the information we can get on the bio-weapon, so we can decide just what to do with him. Your man won't be with us more than a day or two."

Duke's icy gaze narrowed a bit as he looked from McGivern to Rebecca and then back to the agent once more. After a few moments, he raised his wrist and flicked on his communicator. "Mainframe, see if you can round up Lifeline," he said without waiting for the other Joe to answer his hail. "Tell him to prepare to head out for a couple of days. He's going with Devil Dog."

"Got it, Duke," Mainframe's voice crackled over the link.

"Have him meet Doctor Chambers and her... escort down in the containment lab."

"I'm on it," the computer specialist said.

His icy gaze flicking back to the man standing in front of him once again, Duke switched off the communications device. "Lifeline is our chief field medic," he said to Bruce. "He better be back here in two days, or there better be one hell of a reason why."

"Provided the bio-weapon stays docile, there shouldn't be any delays whatsoever," Bruce said. "A day or two, just like I said."

Duke's jaw tightened a bit at the agent's continued use of the word bio-weapon when referring to Devil Dog. "He's a _soldier,_ Agent McGivern," Duke said, almost spitting out the other man's name. "One of my men; and a damn good one."

"He's also a potential threat," McGivern countered quietly. "And one I may have to deal with if anything goes wrong. I haven't seen _for myself_ that there's still a human being left in there. Once I have, _then_ I'll refer to him by name."

"Enough," Rebecca said, breaking in for the first time, her tone soft but sharp. "Let's just get Devil Dog and go, alright?"

The sound of Rebecca's voice drew Duke's hard aquamarine gaze and he looked at the young woman for a few moments before turning his attention back to the agent. "I'm sure Doctor Chambers can show you the way," he said.

Rebecca flinched away from Duke's gaze as McGivern nodded. "Thank you."

* * *

Lifeline entered the containment lab, an olive green duffle bag slung over his shoulder. The medic had been surprised and puzzled by Duke's orders but had obediently done as he had been instructed. Hancock was gone, ordered out of the containment lab after being thanked for all his hard work, so it was just Lifeline when McGivern and Rebecca entered the room.

Edwin turned as the door opened, his brown eyes falling on Rebecca, the medic still feeling a bit unsure as to his feelings regarding the young women before moving his gaze to the man who had accompanied her. McGivern gave him an easy smile. "Is our other passenger ready to go?" he asked softly.

Edwin found the seemingly innoculous question to sound slightly condescending. "I only just got here," he said in reply.

"Okay," the blonde said with a nod. "Let me try that again. Will it take you long to get him ready for transport?"

"Depends on what you mean by ready."

"Preferably clothed. Sedated if it's necessary," McGivern replied.

"He's already one," Edwin replied. "Personally, I don't think he needs to be the other." Once it had appeared that Billy's condition had stabilized, and he was able to move about the containment lab, the Marine had been wearing BDU pants and a-shirts.

"Works for me. Is he prone to air sickness?"

"What he is," came an irritated voice from the other chamber, "is damned pissed off and wanting out of his box. Now quit fucking talking about me like I'm not standing here."

"Ah, so you _are_ listening," McGivern raised an eyebrow at that, and wandered over to the observation window. "You must be Lieutenant Coen."

"Who the fuck are you?" Billy's eyes narrowed in an icy glare.

"Agent Bruce McGivern, STRATCOM. I'm here to take you on a little trip, Sir."

Edwin stepped up to the glass behind the newcomer, his brown eyed gaze fixing on Billy. The Marine wasn't being hostile, but he was clearly wary of McGivern. After a few moments, McGivern looked at Lifeline. "Well, if he's ready to go, we probably oughta get going. I don't think the Doc wants to explain to my boss why I died of spontaneous combustion after too many dirty looks."

The medic glanced at the agent, finding no humor in the attempted joke. "Just let me give him his boots," he said before turning away and heading for the automatic door that led into the inner chamber. The reinforced steel door slid open within a few seconds of Edwin pushing the automated button on the wall next to it. Carrying the duffle inside with him, he stepped towards the Marine. "I got your boots out of your locker," he said as he pulled the bag around and started to unzip it.

"Do you know what the hell's going on?" Billy murmured, keeping his tone low as McGivern moved to stand beside Rebecca and wait. "Where the hell are we going?"

Edwin pulled out Billy's boots and handed them over, followed by a pair of socks. "I don't know," the medic said. "But I think Rebecca knows."

Billy frowned at that. "She didn't tell you?" he asked as he took socks and shoes and bent to put them on.

"We, uh...we haven't really, um, talked," Lifeline said as he glanced momentarily out the glass at the young woman and the STRATCOM agent. "Not since we were ordered to turn you over."

The Marine nodded at that, tying his boots quickly. He had been expecting to hear as much. Through Hancock, he had heard of Rebecca's essential confinement to her room. As a result, she had not been back down to see him, and he couldn't help but admit he was worried about her. Sighing and standing upright, Billy winced a little as he felt something shift and slither under his skin and he repressed a shudder. "Billy?" Edwin said softly, having caught some of the Marine's wince as he turned back to look at him.

"I'm okay," Billy replied softly. "It just shifted again, that's all."

Edwin nodded slightly. "I... I don't know why," he said softly. "But I just have this feeling... I know you can't control it but... it might be better if that agent guy doesn't see that."

Billy nodded his silent agreement.

Lifeline fell silent as he stood there and looked at the other man. Billy did his best to give Lifeline a reassuring smile, but it was shaky at best. The medic mustered up an equally shaky smile in response. "Ready?" he asked quietly after a few moments.

Nodding, the Marine straightened his shoulders, held his head high, and headed out of the containment lab.

* * *

As the small group made their way from the containment lab and through the building, they encountered a number of Joes, all of whom stopped what they were doing to watch the four pass by. Marcel Hancock appeared to have been waiting for them, Lydia Sorenson at his side, with both of them saluting Billy as he passed by. Billy returned the salute with a faint smile, and was more than a little surprised to find the rest of his unit waiting outside, Nina Hutchinson in the forefront among them. The group had snapped into a salute as they passed, and Billy had returned that salute as well, feeling a hitch in his throat as he did. Hutchinson stepped forward as they approached. Billy met her eyes and she smiled faintly. "Semper Fi, Lieutenant!" She called out, to an echo of "OORAH!" from the rest of the squad. In reply, the Marine echoed the call, his tone a little shaky but strong.

Just beyond the Marine's unit, Scarlett, Gung Ho and Mainframe were waiting as well, the three Joes also saluting their comrade with the big bald Cajun giving his fellow Marine a rousing "Yo Joe!" of encouragement. And it was to that echoing chorus that Billy stepped into the small corporate jet belonging to STRATCOM and found his seat, clearly on the edge of tears and trying not to show it. Lifeline followed Billy, the medic's reaction to the action of his fellows Joes somewhat bittersweet. He too had been touched by what Scarlett, Hancock and the others had done for the Marine, yet at the same time he couldn't brush away the feeling that this could very well be the last time they saw Billy.


	17. Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Seventeen

 

There was silence as the group became airborne, and then Bruce turned to Rebecca and gave her a wry smile. "Hey, Rebecca, tell me something," he drawled.

"Huh?" Rebecca looked over at him.

McGivern smiled. "How come every time I do a favor for you, it always involves me having to be an asshole?"

Edwin who had been sitting quietly and gazing down at his lap, glanced up a bit and looked at the pair sitting across from he and Billy under lowered lashes as they spoke. "Because you've got a natural talent for it?" She offered.

"I think you won, this time."

Rebecca sighed. "I know."

"Hope it's worth it to you."

Rebecca nodded. "If this hunch pays off, then it's absolutely worth it."

The medic found himself beginning to frown slightly as he listened and chanced a look at Billy out of the corner of his eye, trying to gauge if the Marine was listening as well. Billy was, although only partially, his eyes closed. He was slouching in his seat, seemingly bored, but it was easy for someone who knew him well and was paying attention to see that he wasn't comfortable.

Edwin raised his head, his dark eyes settling on the young woman across from him, the look almost accusatory before he dropped them down to his lap again. _Guess Duke was right..._ he thought to himself. _God... what if we're on our way to Billy's execution?_    The medic's hand trembled slightly at the thought and he clenched it into a fist.

"Well, the big boss says he'll have a facility set up for us, hopefully by tonight," Bruce went on, smiling a bit.

Rebecca blinked. "So soon?"

Bruce nodded. "He's been working on it ever since you sent us the info after your arrival back from Lakeview."

Lifeline closed his eyes, half wishing that he couldn't hear Rebecca and McGivern as they spoke. He couldn't help but feel that all the hell that they and the others had been through inside Lakeview was somehow being belittled. He found himself feeling a bit sick to his stomach, thinking that the mission to the asylum had been nothing more than a set up to a means of taking custody of Billy. Rebecca relaxed and smiled a little. "Good. Then I think it's safe to clue in the guys as to what's going on?"

"I think you'd better. We won't have time to tell 'em once we touch down."

Edwin raised his dark head at Rebecca's words, looking at the pair sitting across from him. "Tell us what?" he asked, his tone sounding bitter. "That all your concern for Bil... for Devil Dog was nothing but a sham?" The medic turned his gaze on Rebecca.

McGivern glared at the medic. "Hey, now, you watch your mouth. She--"

Reaching out, Rebecca touched Bruce's arm. "No, it's okay," She said. "He's got every right to be angry."

"What the hell's going on, Becca?" Billy asked, tone low.

"She's been feeding information to STRATCOM the whole time, " Lifeline answered before Rebecca had a chance to respond. "Its all been some kind of set up, to get you into their hands." The medic shifted his gaze to McGivern. "Although I still can't figure out why they waited until now to demand custody. But if I had to guess, I'd say it was because they wanted to study the parasite and its assimilation... study you like some lab rat in a cage."

McGivern started to stand up, but Rebecca grabbed his arm and yanked him back down hard, before standing up herself, his astonishment at having been so man-handled by the woman keeping him in his seat as she leveled a glare on Lifeline. "You're not even going to give me a goddamned chance to explain, are you?" She snapped. "Dammit, Lifeline, I did all this for _you_!"

"Me?" Edwin asked as he rose to his feet as well. "I'm sorry Rebecca," he said, shaking his dark head as he looked at the young woman; "but I fail to see how you came to that conclusion."

Billy and McGivern could do little more than watch in amazement as Rebecca crossed the plane, and glared up at Edwin. "They weren't going to let Billy off that base for treatment. You know that as well as I do. I saved you the trouble of going over Duke's head. I painted myself as the bad guy. I'm the one who got Billy out. With Bruce's help and the help of my superiors, we're going to get him treated." She snapped, tears in her eyes as she spoke, anger mingling with sadness. "I kept you from having to take any heat for pushing _your_ superiors," she went on, then her tone dropped low enough so that only Edwin could hear her. "I kept them from having to question just why you wanted so badly to risk _everything_ for one man." She stepped back away from him. "I did it for a friend... I thought I was doing it for two." Without waiting for a single reply, she stormed up to the front of the jet, leaving Bruce and Billy starting in shock at her departing back, her body language speaking more loudly than her words had.

Lifeline stood stone still, his dark eyes sliding closed as Rebecca moved past him. The medic stayed like that for several long moments before he opened his eyes, the chocolate brown orbs glistening. Swallowing, he started away from the others, his back straight, in the opposite direction that Rebecca had taken, towards the back of the plane where the galley and bathroom were located. McGivern looked at Billy. "Are they always like that?"

The Marine offered him a weak smile. "It's been a stressful time..." he said. "But...that was all true then? She pulled all this just to get me outta there?"

McGivern nodded. "I think she called in every favor she had to do it, too."

* * *

Reaching the small kitchen galley, Edwin let out a long breath, his shoulders shaking as he put his palms flat on the counter and hung his head. The medic was angry. Angry at Rebecca for keeping her plan a secret, angry at Duke for being so hard-headed, but mostly angry at himself for not giving Rebecca the benefit of the doubt. It was very rare that Lifeline ever let his temper get away with him, although over the past few months since the discovery of the parasite within Billy, it seemed to be happening more often; and he didn't like that at all.

* * *

 

"I'll be right back," Billy said, standing up.

McGivern nodded. "Just...don't tell anybody I let you up, okay?" The Marine nodded, and headed after Edwin.

The medic was still standing there at the counter, his shoulders continuing to tremble slightly, his dark eyes closed, his glasses resting on the countertop. Billy slipped into the room, pulling the divider door closed, and slid his arms around the other man. "Edwin," He murmured, very softly.

Edwin's eyes squeezed tighter as he felt the Marine's arms go around him. "I – I don't know how much longer I can do this," he whispered, his voice quivering as he spoke, a few stray tears escaping from the corners of his eyes. "I don't like what it's doing to me."

"I know," Billy whispered, tightening his hold on the medic. "I know...it'll be over soon..."

"She – she was just trying to protect us... our relationship..."

Billy closed his eyes. "I know... Duke was being too bull-headed, so she took matters into her own hands..."

The medic sniffed. "I don't know what they plan to do," he said softly, turning in the other man's embrace so that he could look at the Marine, his arms sliding around Billy. "But I hope to God it works," Edwin's voice quivered as a new surge of tears clouded his eyes. "I – I don't think I could take it if it didn't." The medic bent his dark head, pressing his face against Billy's shoulder.

"It'll work," Billy whispered, holding Edwin tightly against him. "It's got to work."

Lifeline lifted his head, his tear-filled eyes looking at the Marine for a moment before he leaned in and pressed his lips to Billy's. With a soft sound, the Marine returned the kiss, closing his eyes against his own sudden tears, his arms tensing around the other man. Edwin bunched up the fabric of Billy's shirt in his hands as the kiss became more forceful, bordering on desperate. It had been so long since the two of them had been together, even just to kiss, let alone anything else; and Edwin wanted nothing more at that moment than to feel even just a small part of that closeness while he could.

Billy didn't seem to mind, and indeed, seemed to share his thoughts, returning that kiss just as desperately, one hand gliding up Edwin's back as he pressed close. A small sound escaped from Lifeline, the medic tilting his head a bit, sealing their mouths together even more tightly. Billy's lips parted at that, a soft sound escaping him. Edwin's tongue slipped between his lover's parted lips, plunging into the warm recesses of Billy's mouth as it sought out its like. One hand let go of the Marine's shirt as the medic's arm slid up Billy's back, his fingers sliding into the dark locks at the back of the Marine's head.

A small shiver went through Billy at that, the kiss more than welcome and the familiar touch enough to ease away some of his tension. The pain receded completely for a time, and for those few moments, it was easy to forget where they were and why.

Their tongues dueling with one another, Edwin's fingers gently combed through Billy's hair as he pressed himself closer to the Marine. It was Billy who finally broke the kiss, gasping softly for breath as he laid his forehead against Edwin's shoulder. Lifeline sniffed, trying to push back the last vestiages of tears as he held Billy close, his fingers stilling as he cupped the back of the Marine's dark head. "When this is all over," he whispered. "We'll go away, just the two of us. Somewhere nice and quiet... find a place down on a beach somewhere... right on the ocean..."

"Take some time for _us_ ," Billy agreed with a nod, then looked up and smiled. "Robby can come on the next trip."

Edwin mustered up a faint shaky smile for Billy. "We'll sit on the beach... fish... drink beer..." The medic's hand slid from the back of Billy's head and around to cup the side of the Marine's face. "Billy...I..." Lifeline's dark eyes welled with tears once again as he faltered, wanting to tell the other man how he felt, yet not being able to gather the courage to do so, feeling in some way that saying it would be almost like saying goodbye, and he wouldn't allow himself to do that.

Billy reached up, covering Edwin's hand with his own, and smiled faintly. "I know..." he said softly.

Several fresh tear drops fell from the medic's eyes as he looked at the Marine for a few moments before leaning in to press his lips against Billy's once more, the touch soft and gentle with none of his earlier urgency. Returning the kiss just as lightly, Billy reached up and brushed the tears away.

Edwin pulled back after a few moments, breaking the kiss. Bending his head down a bit, he touched his forehead to Billy's without loosening his hold on the other man. "We'd better head back out there soon," Billy whispered softly, brushing Edwin's cheek with his fingers again.

"In a few minutes," Lifeline said softly as he leaned into the soft touch a bit. "Its not like we can go anywhere unless we want to jump out of the plane. Who knows if...no, _when_ we'll get another chance to be alone," Edwin went on as he looked at the Marine. "Can't blame a guy for wanting to take advantage it while he can."

Billy smiled just a little. "When," He clarified. "And no, I can't."

Lifeline found himself smiling faintly in return, the first true genuine one he had managed in some time.

* * *

Once they finally touched down, Rebecca and the others were met by several STRATCOM agents. The foremost, a sunstreaked blond with steel blue eyes, stepped forward and smiled a bit. "Welcome to our humble abode, lady and gentlemen," he said. "Hope the ride wasn't too unpleasant."

Edwin looked at the blonde man a bit warily, something about the man's slightly condesending attitude putting the medic on his guard. "Save the pleasantries, Leon," Rebecca snapped, brushing past the man and walking off. "They'll be a wasted effort, I assure you."

Leon Kennedy blinked, then looked at the three remaining men. "What the hell's wrong with her?"

Lifeline suddenly found something interesting on the ground to focus his attention on as a soft faint blush crept over his face. "It's been a long day, Kennedy," McGivern replied wearily. "Have we got rooms for our guests?"

Kennedy nodded. "Yeah. But I'm supposed to bring Coen with me, so the docs can start doing all the preliminary work," he said.

Edwin's attention snapped back to the blonde man. "I'm going with him," the medic said.

There was a brief glance between Kennedy and McGivern, and McGivern nodded; Leon smiled. "Sure, okay. C'mon, then, guys."

Lifeline spared Bruce a glance before moving to join the blonde man. McGivern fell into step behind them, following along quietly. Edwin walked quietly alongside Billy, the pair of them having said little after returning to the main seating of area of the plane before it had landed, both of them sporting red-rimmed eyes. If McGivern had any thoughts on what might have transpired between them, he kept them to himself, merely glancing up at the pair as they took their seats again across from him. Rebecca had said nothing at all to any of them, remaining in the cockpit of the jet until they had finally touched down. Billy looked a little worried, but hadn't remarked on it.

As they walked along, McGivern eventually circled around the two of them, speaking quietly with Kennedy as they headed toward the base's Infirmary. Lifeline's eyes watched the two STRATCOM agents, beginning to feel a bit apprehensive about what he and Billy might be walking into, as they still had no idea just what Rebecca had planned for the Marine. Kennedy finally nodded and smiled a bit, and McGivern returned the nod and headed down the hallway away from them. "If there's anything I can do to make your stay here more comfortable," Kennedy said. "Let me know. Contrary to what you may have been led to believe, you guys _are_ our guests."

"How long is this... treatment going to take?" Billy asked.

Kennedy glanced back and shrugged a shoulder. "I don't know too much about the procedure itself. But I know the infirmary's been pretty excited about it, which says good things."

"Or that they've got a new toy to play with," Edwin murmured to himself.

"Our infirmary folks are doctors, Sir, not scientists," came the reply, Kennedy's tone crisp, though not quite icy. "If this treatment helps the Lieutenant, then maybe it can be used to help victims of other infestations, other parasites and infections." There was an almost haunted look in the young man's eyes, and he looked away from the two of them abruptly.

Edwin shivered involuntarily, recalling the two Tyrant creatures that he had encountered after first meeting Billy. The Marine was the one who spoke next, his tone soft. "You were involved with that situation in Spain," he said softly. "With the rescue of the president's daughter?"

Kennedy nodded, but said nothing. Lifeline stopped. "You were the one who rescued her?"

The other two men stopped as well, looking back. Kennedy nodded again. "That's right," he said. "There were parasites involved, creatures called plagas. It's possible to cure them, but the Spanish government won't let go of the technology, even in the face of potential infestations here in the States. So we've been racking our brains on this end, trying to come up with another suitable treatment. If this works on the Lieutenant... it might work on the people who've been infested with those as well."

Lifeline fell silent for a few moments, mulling over a few things, as he followed Kennedy. The more he thought, the more some very ugly things came to mind. "Jesus Christ..." he murmured to himself.

"Needless to say," Kennedy said. "We want this to work as much as you do."

The medic glanced over at Billy for a moment before turning to look at Leon Kennedy's back. Billy's expression was unreadable, the man clearly lost in thought as he stared at Kennedy's back as well. The agent didn't look back at them, merely headed through the Infirmary, toward the ward that was set aside for them. Lifeline glanced around a bit as they made their way through the Infirmary, finding himself impressed by some of the equipment that he saw. The facility was state of the art, judging by what he could see, bounds above the facility at Joe Headquarters. Kennedy glanced back, and smiled a bit. "Impressive, isn't it?" He said softly.

"Nice to know my tax dollars are hard at work," the medic replied.

"We've been very lucky to get the funding we have," Leon said. "When Umbrella disappeared off the map, the government tried to get rid of us completely. Nobody guessed they'd just merged into other shady companies."

"Or were backed by a world-wide terrorist network," Edwin added, glancing at Billy once again.

"Exactly. So they were going to disband our task force until you and the Lieutenant discovered the connection with Cobra."

The medic nodded his head silently. Billy was thoughtful. "So... my unit was supposed to replace this organization?"

Kennedy shook his head. "Not quite. From what I've been made to understand, you're essentially acting as STRATCOM's military branch."

"Wait a minute," Edwin said, stopping once again. "You mean the Joes are associated with you?"

Leon considered that. "Not quite. The Lieutenant's unit will eventually have full access to our contacts, information and such. In return, we have access to this one military branch when the need is great enough."

"In the long run, it benefits both groups," Billy finished. "You get the firepower you need, even though you're a civilian operation."

The blond man nodded. "And you get the benefit of our databanks, intel, and field agents."

Lifeline looked from Leon to Billy. "You knew about this?" he asked the Marine.

Billy shook his head. "In the abstract. It explains why Homeland Security ordered my unit set up so quickly," He replied softly.

"That _does_ make sense." Edwin agreed. "But what about Rebecca? She told us she worked for the CDC."

"She does. She's a liason of sorts, and works for us and them."

Billy nodded, and started to reply again, before a sudden flash of pain brought him to his knees with a gasp. "Billy!" Lifeline's eyes widened a bit and he rushed to the other brunette's side

Leon took an involuntary step backwards from the two men, managing to catch himself before his hand went for his gun. Billy was gritting his teeth, his eyes closed tightly. A cry went up from one of the other infirmary medics, and the room exploded into action, several of the STRATCOM medics moving closer, but hesitating briefly, waiting for orders from the man already attending to him. Kneeling down, Edwin slipped his arm around Billy's shoulders. "Billy?" he called out to the other man softly.

"God... that's getting... old..." Billy hissed softly as the wave of pain receded.

"Are you alright?" the medic asked, his brown eyes full of concern as he looked at the Marine.

"Am now," Billy said with a nod. "For the moment..."

Edwin nodded, giving the other man's shoulder a slight squeeze before sliding his arm away and offering his hand to Billy as he started to rise to his feet. Billy took the hand and rose slowly, becoming suddenly very aware of the many eyes on them. When it was clear the potential threat had passed, the others turned back to their assorted tasks, although they would glance now and again at the Marine. The looks they gave the two men weren't suspicious, but genuinely concerned. Edwin, however, was still watching Billy, waiting for the Marine to move first. Billy glanced over at Edwin, and offered a weak, weary smile, before following after Leon, who beckoned them to follow with a tilt of his head.

* * *

The next several hours seemed to drag by. Billy received a full physical by one of the STRATCOM physicians, overseen by Rebecca. Billy also underwent all the "treatment simulations" that were necessary, spending more time in a CT scanner than was really comfortable for him. There were some concerns raised as to the fact that the Marine's agitation would need to somehow be curbed, but they promised to try and have a solution by the next morning. By the time they were done prepping Billy for his first treatment the next day, the Marine was tired, edgy, and desperately craving a smoke. Which was odd, he considered, since he hadn't smoked since his initial quarantine.

When Billy and Edwin finally exited the STRATCOM medical wing, Rebecca had already disappeared, and Leon was waiting to escort them to their rooms. He assured both men that it wasn't a security issue, so much as making sure they were able to actually find their rooms in the sprawling complex.

The two followed Leon, the blonde man leading first Billy and then Lifeline to their respective rooms, which incidentally turned out to be on the same floor and separated by only a few hallways. While Kennedy waited, Edwin gave the Marine's shoulder a slight squeeze, murmuring that he would be back and that Billy should try to get some rest. The two had stood quietly for a few moments, framed in the doorway of Billy's assigned room, their eyes locked before the medic had turned away.

The room that Leon had shown Lifeline to was small and rather spartan, much like the barracks back at Joe Headquarters. Once the door had been shut firmly behind him, Edwin had dropped down onto the bed and hung his head with a weary sigh. The STRATCOM medical staff, while being civil and polite, had treated the medic as nothing more than a observer, their attention focused on Billy and the tests that they needed to run. Rebecca had appeared to be too busy to have given much attention to Edwin, either, although perhaps that was due to the blow up that the two of them had had on the plane hours earlier. The young woman had said nothing to him since then, only nodding her head slightly at him when she had entered the lab before setting to work with the rest of the staff.

It was perhaps half an hour later when there was a knock on Edwin's door, the medic rising to his feet and shuffling over to open it. On the otherside was a young blonde woman dressed in a navy pantsuit with a covered tray in her hands – dinner for their guest, she informed Lifeline as she stepped around him and into the room before placing the tray on the nightstand next to bed. With a small smile, she moved past him once more and out the door, turning slightly to remind him that if he needed anything all he had to do was pick up the phone.

Food was the last thing that Lifeline had on his mind, yet that didn't stop him from lifting the lid from the tray to see what it contained. The smells of pot roast with mashed potatoes and gravy wafted up to assail his nose before he replaced the cover, his stomach roiling a bit at the thought of food. Pushing his glasses up on his forehead, Edwin rubbed at his eyes with his fingertips as he made his way into the attached bathroom, turning on the cold tap. Taking his glasses off, he splashed a few handfuls of water on his face and patted it dry. Resettling his glasses he, he looked at himself in the mirror for a moment before leaving the towel on the vanity and making his way back out to the other room and the door.

Retracing his steps, Edwin made his way back to Billy's room, the medic pausing for a moment in front of the beige door before knocking softly. There was no verbal reply, only the sound of a bed creaking softly and then heavy, slow footsteps before the door opened and Billy looked wearily out. When he saw who his company was, however, he smiled a bit and beckoned Edwin to come in. "Sorry," the medic apologized as he stepped past Billy and into the room. "I didn't mean to wake you up."

"You didn't," Billy said. "I'm too wound up to sleep." He closed the door as Edwin passed. Lifeline stopped just behind the other man, turning around to face the Marine. Billy raked a hand through his hair, leaning back against the closed door. "Mind if I be bluntly honest with you?"

Edwin's dark brows crooked together a bit, his head titling to the side a bit as he shook his head. "I always want you to be honest with me," he said softly.

The Marine looked up, not quite meeting Edwin's eyes. "... I don't think I've ever been this scared in my whole fucking life."

"Billy," the medic whispered the other man's name as he closed the small distance between them, his hand going out to cup the Marine's cheek. Billy's eyes closed at the touch, and he swallowed hard. The pad of Lifeline's thumb brushed over Billy's cheekbone. "C'mere," he said softly as he slipped his other arm around the blue eyed man and pulled him closer. Billy went into the embrace gratefully, wrapping his arms around Edwin tightly.

The medic quietly held his lover, his hand sliding from Billy's face as he wound his other arm around the Marine. "It's okay... " he murmured softly his hand sliding up to the middle of Billy's back, lightly rubbing circles over it like one would to comfort a child.

"Edwin... if anything goes wrong..." Billy said softly, not looking up. "You... still remember where my will's at, right?"

"Billy..." Lifeline started to protest, not quite ready to have this conversation with the other man just yet.

"Look, I know you don't wanna talk about this..." Billy looked up. "I don't want to, either... but we don't know what's going to happen tomorrow..."

Edwin squeezed his eyes shut for a moment before nodding his head slowly. "Yes," he said softly. "I remember."

"It's up to date..." Billy said softly. "I want my dress blues... and I want my son to have my flag. I talked to my sisters when I joined the Joes, and they agree..." A lump formed in Lifeline's throat, leaving him to nod mutely. "Just in case," Billy whispered softly, tightening his hold on the medic. "This is just in case..."

Edwin swallowed and closed his eyes as he held the other man in his embrace.  _Don't lose it, Lifeline..._ he said to himself.  _You have to keep it together for him..._

Billy looked up after a moment. "Edwin..." he said softly.

The medic's chocolate brown eyes opened, settling on the other man, all his feelings for Billy reflected in their dark depths. Leaning up, Billy pressed his lips firmly to Edwin's, his arms tightening again. Lifeline met the kiss just as eagerly, his hand still on the middle of the Marine's back, his other arm tightly around Billy's waist. Billy broke the kiss a few moments later, and smiled faintly. "... Can you come lay with me for awhile?" he asked softly. "It might help me try to sleep...

"Anything for you," the medic answered softly, mustering up a faint smile for the Marine. "You know that."

"Thank you..." Billy replied, forcing a faint smile to his own lips.

Edwin's hand slipped from the other man's back as he brought it up and ran the tips of his fingers over Billy's lips. That softened the Marine's smile, and it grew a little, becoming more genuine. The medic ran the pad of his thumb over the Marine's stubbled jaw before leaning in the press a soft quick kiss to Billy's lips. Releasing his hold on the blue eyed man, Lifeline started to pull away from his lover's embrace. "C'mon soldier boy," he said smiling a bit as well as he reached for Billy's hand and started to pull him towards the bed.

Once they were lying together, it didn't take Billy very long to fall asleep, clearly comforted to have his lover nearby. It seemed like an eternity since Edwin had laid with him last. The two of them were facing one another, the Marine curled up against the medic's chest, Edwin's arms wrapped around the other man.

Edwin pressed a soft kiss to the top of his lover's head. "I love you..." he whispered, his cocoa brown eyes glistening as he shifted his hold a bit and reached to lace his fingers with Billy's. Closing his eyes, he quietly held the Marine, all the while fighting against the thought that this might be the last time that he did so. As he lay there, he became more aware of sounds in the hallway, of people ocassionally passing by Billy's room. Although he didn't want to leave his lover, he also didn't want for someone to accidently enter the room and find them together. Pressing another kiss to the Marine's hair, he reluctantly released Billy's hand before gently pulling away and quietly sliding from the bed.


	18. Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Eighteen

 

Edwin quietly closed the door to Billy's room, the medic leaning his forehead on the doorframe for a moment before he released the knob. Glancing to his left and then to the right, he found the hallway empty, despite the earlier voices that he had heard. "C'mon Lifeline," he murmured to himself. "You've got to keep it together..." Pushing away from the doorframe, he started back towards his room. He had gone what he thought was almost halfway when he found himself a bit lost, having been so lost in thoughts he had not really paid attention to where he was going and apparently turned down a wrong corridor. Looking around, he tried to find something that was familiar, but the there was nothing, just an endless string of wooden doors in both directions.

"Damn it..." with a frustrated sigh, the medic turned around back the way he had come hoping to find his way once again. He had not gone very far when he found himself at a junction with two other corridors and a door marked "EXIT". Swearing softly to himself once again, he shook his head. "Just great..."

As he stood there, Lifeline suddenly found a sense of claustrophobia sweeping over him, a feeling of just needing to get outside so he could breathe. Looking around just in case, as the medic didn't think that the STRATCOM people would appreciate him leaving the building, Edwin headed towards the exit door. He paused a moment, his hand on the handle before pushing it down and opening the door, all the while wondering if an alarm of some kind would go off. There was no sound as the door swung outward, the medic passing through it and into the cool night air.

Despite it being evening, the STRATCOM campus was well lit, the door that Lifeline had used opening to a shrub lined sidewalk. Following the cement pathway, the medic soon found himself moving out into a good sized square surrounded on all four sides by buildings. If Edwin had to guess, the area seemed to be a park of some kind with benches, trees, and shrubs with a sidewalk wrapping around it. Placed periodically around the green area were lamp posts, the frosted white globes giving off a pale light that was more than enough to navigate the area. Taking a deep breath of fresh air, he closed his eyes for a moment before moving towards one of the benches.

This little park-sized quad area also seemed to be a hub of sorts for the buildings that surrounded it, with four sidewalks that broke the square into even quarters, and so the sound of a door opening, and the sound of shoes on the concrete sidewalk echoed almost too loud in the stillness. Rebecca Chambers was barely aware of the fact as she hurried out of one of the buildings, intent on the door Edwin had used as an exit only moments before.

Seated on the bench, Lifeline looked up at the sound of clicking heels half tempted to scoot down to the other side of the bench where it was a bit more shadowed. Following the sound, the medic saw the slight figure as it moved towards him, a white lab coat showing in the pale light. Judging from the clicking sound and the size of the figure, Edwin quickly concluded that it was a woman, a hunch that was confirmed as the figure passed in front of the lamp closest to him, revealing that it wasn't just any woman, however. The person coming down the walk towards him was Rebecca Chambers.

Rebecca didn't notice the man, or if she did, she gave no sign of it. She was clutching her clipboard to her chest, her expression pensive and clearly tired. As she passed near the center of the quad, a voice hailing her brought her to a halt, and she turned to look at McGivern as he came moving up at a jog. They spoke only briefly, and then the both of them resumed Rebecca's earlier trek.

"R-Rebecca..." Edwin rose to his feet and hailed the young woman before she and the STRATCOM agent had been able to take more than a few steps away from him.

Rebecca's steps slowed and she glanced over her shoulder at the sound. When she realized who was hailing her, however, she turned away from the medic, her steps a little more hurried than before. Bruce blinked in surprise at that, before peering into the gloom to get a better look at Edwin's face. When he recognized the medic, he decided that it would be a good time to make a discreet exit. "I'll catch up with you, Becca," He said, heading for a different door away from the two. "I need to go take care of something first."

Rebecca didn't answer him, but he hadn't really expected her to. After their blow up on the transport plane and the young woman's behavior towards him in the testing lab, he hadn't expected a warm welcome. "Rebecca," he called out once again as he moved to follow her. "Please ..."

She almost ignored him again, only slowing as she came within a few paces of the door. There was something in the man's almost pleading tone that got the better of her, however, and she stopped, but didn't look back again. The medic felt a small sense of relief as Rebecca stopped. "Rebecca..." he said her name again as he drew nearer to her, stopping perhaps an arm's length away.

"What is it, Ed--Lifeline?" Rebecca replied, her tone low, not daring to look toward the medic.

Edwin closed his eyes for a moment. "Please Rebecca..." he started. "I...I... I want to apologize to you." the medic finally stammered out, his voice soft. "Please...I'm sorry."

"...I thought you knew me well enough," She replied after a moment, "to know that I would never, _ever_ do anything to hurt Billy."

"I – I know..." the brunette man said. "I just..." he squeezed his eyes closed again. "Why didn't you say anything?" Lifeline asked as he opened his eyes and looked at the young woman's back.

Rebecca did turn then, just enough to look him in the eye. "Honestly? Because you're a lousy damn liar," She replied. The medic dropped his eyes from Rebecca's gaze. "If Duke asked you if you were aware of what I was doing, I wanted you to be able to honestly tell him no. Both for your sake, and Billy's."

The medic gave a barely imperceptible nod of his dark head. "I'm sorry," he said once again, chancing a glance back up at the young woman. "I should've trusted you," he said quietly. "All you ever tried to do since you first came to headquarters was help Billy..."

Rebecca sighed. "I...wanted to tell you...tried to warn you...I thought maybe you'd catch on..." she murmured, meeting Edwin's eyes still.

"I think you're giving me too much credit."

"Apparently so," Rebecca said, then shook her head. "It doesn't matter now. You know the truth..."

"I'm sorry, Rebecca." Edwin said, his dark eyes glistening behind the lenses of his glasses. "I don't know what else I can say. I – I misjudged you and I'm sorry...I just...I just can't think straight anymore when it comes to him..."

"Edwin..." Rebecca's anger dissolved at the look on the medic's face. "...I forgive you," she finally said.

The medic took the few steps that separated them and moved to embrace the young woman. "I'm sorry..." he whispered.

Rebecca's eyes closed, her arms sliding around the medic. "Me, too," she whispered. "Edwin, I'm sorry...I just wanted to do what I thought was right..."

"I know," Lifeline said softly. "I should have trusted you, believed in you..."

"Do you trust me now?" Rebecca asked, biting her bottom lip.

"I do," came the whispered reply. "With my life _and_ his."

Rebecca pulled away a little then, and looked up at Edwin. "Then...we need to have a talk," She said softly. Lifeline nodded in agreement as he looked down at the young woman, his hands resting on her lithe upper arms.

For the first time since they had left the base, Rebecca offered Lifeline a faint, tentative smile.

Swallowing, Edwin managed to muster up the ghost of a small smile for Rebecca in return, although it slid away almost as quickly as it appeared. Hers wasn't far behind, and Rebecca took a step back, beckoning for Edwin to follow as she headed into the building. The medic's hands slid away and he moved to follow the young woman back inside the building.

Rebecca's expression was pensive as she stepped into the room that housed the IMRT machine. After the pretesting earlier that day, the machine hadn't been touched, the technicians dismissed early to rest, so that they would all be in top form the next day.

Edwin followed Rebecca, his dark eyes sweeping over the equipment much as it had earlier in the day when he had accompanied Billy to the lab. Once again the medic couldn't help the small feeling of wonder that came over him at the state of the art facility.

"Based on what little information Leon was able to give us," Rebecca said softly. "We decided that an IMRT treatment would be the best shot we'd have at dealing with other parasites. Apparently whoever designed the Trojan Horse had a similar idea...This was the only thing listed under the potential treatments for Billy's condition..." She said, mostly to herself. She knew Edwin had seen the file, and had seen the same notation as she.

Lifeline turned his attention to Rebecca as she spoke, nodding his head when she finished. "I did some online research after you left that day. Controlled x-ray accelerators delivered with pin point accuracy. A very intense high concentration of radiation focused on a specific target area."

Rebecca nodded, clearly pleased Edwin knew a little about the procedure. "The only problem is, it has to be _extremely_ precise...if it's off by even a fraction of an inch, we could do serious damage..."

"You end up frying the tissue around the target area instead."

"Exactly," Rebecca murmured. "Can you see the problem with this is, considering our patient?"

"Lieutenant I-Guess-I-Should-Have-Mentioned-I-Have-Claustrophobia Coen?"

Rebecca chuckled softly. "Got it in one."

Edwin eyed the IMRT machine again. "It's not completely enclosed but still..." he made a slow circuite around it. "It's still going to be a problem though..."

"It wouldn't be so bad if we could sedate him or something..."

"I know," the medic agreed. "But the parasite would neutralize it before he was even finished being prepped"

Rebecca nodded. "He did okay through the scanning and letting us mark him and everything else...and the machine _is_ open, but I know medical equipment makes him squeamish at the best of times..." She sighed, her shoulders slumping. "It's not leaving me with many options, and I'm not liking the few I've got left..."

Edwin moved to stand next to Rebecca. "I can't help but think," he said as he looked down at her. "that if this thing is as sentient as we seem to think it is, won't it manifest itself again if it realizes what we're trying to do?"

Rebecca blinked, drawn from her thoughts. "Huh?"

"The parasite." the medic reiterated. "It'll feel threatened."

With a nod, Rebecca looked toward Edwin. "We're hoping that it won't realize what's happening until it's too late. It's why we really didn't explain to Billy what was going to happen..."

"And probably why no one would really talk to me earlier, so I couldn't say anything to him either..." Edwin added.

"I know it would probably set his mind at ease, at least a little...but we need that element of surprise..." Rebecca frowned a little. "But that still leaves us with the problem of how to keep him still..."

"What options are left?"

"Hypnosis, which I'm not too sure about...or restraining him..."

Lifeline shook his head. "I don't think he's a candidate for hypnosis," he said. "Now if it were me, I'd say start swinging the watch..."

"I didn't think he was a candidate for it, either," Rebecca said softly. "But on the other hand, I don't want to tie him down, either."

The medic sighed. "The proverbial rock and a hard place."

"Yeah," She said with a nod.

The pair fell into silence for a few moments. "I wouldn't do it without at least telling him," Edwin said at length, his hand settling on the edge of IMRT bed. "Explain what will happen if he can't stay completely immobile. Give him the choice."

"...Okay, that sounds like a plan."

Lifeline nodded his head as he turned to look at the IMRT once again, silently praying that the piece of space age looking equipment would indeed turn out to be his lover's savior.

* * *

Billy hadn't been a religious man since he had been slated for execution, almost eight years ago. There was something about betrayal by your comrades and country that just left a mark on a man. He had never been much for prayer even before that. Since his quarantine, though, he had been doing a lot of praying, and he couldn't help but shake the feeling that whatever happened today would tell him for sure whether or not there was a higher power looking out for him. While nurses and orderlies bustled around him, Rebecca and Edwin had explained to him the necessity that he remain absolutely still, and what the consequences would be if he so much as twitched at the wrong time. The alternative, they explained, would be to restrain him so that he _couldn't_ move. The choice, however, fell to him.

It wasn't an easy one to make.

As he had been the day before, Edwin had once again been relegated to the role of bystander by the STRATCOM personnel. The only difference being that Rebecca wasn't ignoring him anymore, the young woman once again treating him as a peer even as she bustled around the lab directing the personnel as both the IMRT and Billy were prepped. With nothing really to do, Edwin had chosen to stay close by Billy's side, hoping that having a familiar face nearby would help the Marine to relax a bit before the acutal procedure started.

While they prepped the machine, Billy looked up at Edwin. "...What do you think?" he finally asked softly. The medic looked down at the blue eyed man, his brow raising a bit in question. "...about the restraints..." Billy's tone dropped a little more.

"It's up to you," Lifeline replied. "But if you honestly want my opinion, then I'd say yes. I'd rather not have this thing melt your lungs into a puddle of goo because you twitched for half a second."

Billy shuddered. "...I trust you," he said. "If...if you really think it's best...then we'll do it."

The medic nodded his head slightly as he reached out to give his lover's upper arm a quick squeeze, the only sign of affection that he could allow himself to show in the midst of the busy lab. Billy fell silent again, although he did his best to muster a weak smile for his lover at the affectionate gesture.

Edwin's hand slippped away as he looked from Billy and around the room, his brown eyes searching out Rebecca. The young woman was in the computer control room, separated from the lab where the IMRT was by a thick piece of safety glass, apparently conferring with the console operator. The medic had accompanied the Marine as he had been brought into the lab where Rebecca had met them. The lab staff had immediately seized upon Billy, hurrying the Marine off to be prepped for the procedure.

The staff was both extremely efficient and equally compassionate as they got Billy set up, re-marking the faded ink pen that would serve as a guide for their targeting. When there was nothing left to do but restrain Billy, Rebecca was brought out from the control room, walking over to the two men and smiling a little. "So far, so good," she said, "Everything's running like it should." She reached over and patted one of Billy's arms. "How's our guest of honor?"

Billy gave the young woman a strained smile. "Just fuckin' peachy, thanks."

"That wonderfully eloquent demeanor hasn't dimmed any," Lifeline said to Rebecca as he looked down at the Marine.

Rebecca grinned a little. "I've always said he's okay, as long as he's still swearing."

"It's a Marine thing," Billy replied.

Edwin couldn't help the faint smile that came to his lips. "Sounds like she's got your number, soldier boy."

Keeping her hand settled on the Marine's arm, she looked from Billy to Edwin. "So have we come to a decision, gentlemen?" She finally asked. "If...we're going to use restraints, we need to get them in place now."

The medic cocked his eyebrow slightly as he looked at his lover in the off chance that Billy might have reconsidered. The Marine averted his gaze slightly, but nodded. "I think we'd better," he said softly.

Rebecca's expression softened and she gave Billy's arm a squeeze. "If you're sure." Again, Billy nodded. Edwin gave the other man what he hoped was a reassuring smile. "Okay," Rebecca said and looked up, nodding to one of the techs, who nodded back. Then she looked at Edwin. "Go ahead and stick with him until they're done securing him down," She said softly. "Then come join me in the control room, okay?"

The medic nodded his assent as he looked up at the young woman. As Rebecca passed, heading for the control room herself, she gave Edwin's arm a reassuring touch, and then she was gone. Lifeline's brown eyes returned to Billy, hoping that the butterflies that were beginning to fill his stomach weren't evident on his face. His gaze rested on the other man for a few moments before he stepped back to let the waiting techs get on with their job.

Billy's eyes stayed on his lover, his own nervousness easy to see. The young woman who had come over to restrain him was sweet enough, keeping up a soft litany she knew neither man was listening to as she fitted the restraints down, only pausing in her ramble to occasionally ensure that the straps weren't too tight. Edwin alternated between glancing at the young woman as she worked and Billy's face, the Marine looking a bit paler then when they had first arrived in the lab. "Are you all right, Sir?" The young woman asked.

Billy gave her as reassuring a smile as he can muster. "Nope," he said, "but I will be soon."

"That's the spirit," she said, returning the smile with a warm one of her own. Edwin watched as the young woman finished securing Billy before giving the restraints a final check and stepping back. "All right, Sir," she said, smiling a bit. "You're all set, and we'll be getting started in just a few moments."

"Can you, uh, give us a minute or two?" Lifeline asked as he stepped back up to Billy's side, his chocolate brown gaze turning to the young woman.

"Of course," she said. "Don't be too long." And with that, she turned around and headed back into the Control Room.

Once the tech was out of earshot, Edwin looked back down at Billy, the medic swallowing slightly. The two of them were alone in the treatment room, Rebecca and the rest of her staff in the main control/observation room running the final checks before the IMRT procedure started. Heedless of whether or not anyone was watching, the medic reached out and covered Billy's hand with his.

"...Hey, Edwin?" Billy said softly.

"Hmm?"

"...When we get home, I think I'm celebrating with a bottle of Jack...wanna join me?"

Lifeline smiled a bit. "Gladly," he said quietly.

"Cool..."

The medic held onto his smile as he stood there quietly for a few moments, his eyes on Billy's face, committing every line, scar and nuance to memory, not that he really needed to. Billy's gaze finally met his, and the Marine smiled a bit. "You'd better get going," he murmured softly. Edwin nodded his dark head although he made no move to do so. There were things that he wanted to say, things that he was afraid he would never get a chance to say yet he still couldn't find the voice to do so. "...Edwin?"

"Billy..." Lifeline started hesitantly. "I..." he swallowed. "What – whatever happens, I just...I want you to know," the medic quickly glanced up at the observation window before his eyes returned to the Marine. "I – I love you." The words were barely more than a whisper.

Billy's eyes widened a little at the admission, and the Marine would swear later that his heart stopped beating for a few seconds. When he finally found his voice again, and remembered he was capable of speaking himself, Billy murmured just as softly. "I love you, too, Edwin..." His voice, though hushed, was thoroughly sincere.

Edwin squeezed the Marine's hand before letting it go. "Be a good boy," he said. "I'll see you on the other side."


	19. Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Nineteen

 

"Final checks complete?"

"Yes, ma'am. Waiting to start the beams on your command."

Rebecca flipped the switch that allowed her to communicate with Billy in the other room. "We're all set on this end, Billy. You still okay over there?"

"As okay as I'm going to be," Billy replied, his voice crackling slightly through the speaker. "Let's just get this show on the road."

Rebecca smiled, and flicked the switch back off. "You heard the man."

Standing to the side, yet with a clear view through the observation glass, Edwin couldn't quell the anxiousness that once again filled his stomach with butterflies. The medic was so wired that he jumped when his comm link flared to life, the shrill sound seeming to fill the control room. All eyes turned to him at the sound, some surprised, one or two annoyed. Rebecca only smiled faintly. "You'll have to take that out in the hall," She said. "I don't want to risk anything affecting our computers, even a little."

Lifeline looked down at the comm irritably, debating whether or not to answer it. In the end however, his training won out and he quietly took his leave of the control room, stepping out into the hallway before answering the hail. "Lifeline here."

"Lifeline," Duke's voice issued from the comm.

"Duke." the medic said, sounding a bit surprised.

"I need you back here," the Joe's field commander said without any preamble.

"Back? But I can't..."

"It can't be helped," Duke continued on, cutting off the medic's protest. "We've got confirmed Cobra activity and I need you here."

"But Bil... Devil Dog..."

"Look Lifeline, I only agreed to let you go because that STRATCOM agent said it would only be for a couple of days. I need you back here, that's all there is to it."

"But the treatment, they're just starting..." the medic stammered out.

"I want you back here, _today_." Duke said, the tone of his voice brooking no argument. "That's an order Lifeline, not an option."

"Yes, sir." Lifeline said after a few moments, his shoulders slumping a bit in defeat. "I'll talk to Agent McGivern and arrange for transport back to headquarters."

Before Duke could reply, a sudden frenzy went up in the room Lifeline had just left. Frantic shouts were barely muffled by the door, Rebecca's voice suddenly clear as she pulled the door open. "Lifeline, we've got a situation and I need you in here _now_!" She said hurriedly.

"Lifeline, what's going on? Duke asked, hearing Rebecca's voice through the comm link.

"I gotta go, Duke." the medic said as he hurried back into the control room through the open door.

"LIFE--" Duke's voice was caught off as Edwin flicked off the comm.

"Sorry to break up your chat," Rebecca said as Edwin rejoined her, "but take a look at that."

What had happened in the minutes that passed while Edwin was gone from the room wasn't completely clear. Only that the machine had been activated, but the "attack" on the parasite had been enough to trigger it. Slightly pulsing ropes of flesh, wavered and snapped around the Marine, who was straining against his bindings, his actions that of an injured animal. So far, however, the restraints were holding.

"Oh my god..." Lifeline's brown eyes widened behind the lenses of his glasses and he immediately rushed to the observation window, his palms flattening on the the thick shatterproof glass. "BILLY!"

"We have to calm him down, and get that parasite back under control," Rebecca said hurriedly. "They've turned off the machine, and I've got a security team on standby, but I'd rather not handle this violently if we don't have to. Do you think you can calm him down?"

"I—I can try... " the medic responded, his wide eyes locked on the scene in the treatment lab. "I might be able to talk to him..."

Rebecca turned to the rest of the crew. "Out into the hall, all of you. Hail McGivern and tell him I want that security team outside with you and standing by. Understood?"

"Yes, ma'am." came the chorus of replies.

"Move it."

Edwin was oblivious as the staff filed out, his attention focused slowly on his restrained lover and the horrifying tableu on the other side of the glass, the parasite's tentacles whipping and snapping, flicking specks of blood on the walls and equipment.

Once the control room was empty, save for the two of them, Rebecca turned to Edwin. "Do you want to try talking to him through the comm system first? Or do you want me to let you in there?"

It was Rebecca speaking to him that finally drew the medic's attention away from the window. "I... it won't hurt me... "

"Go ahead, then," Rebecca said. "I'll keep an eye on you from here. If things start going badly, you come straight back in here, understand?"

Lifeline nodded mutely as he drew away from the glass and moved towards the door that led into the IMRT room, pausing momentarily as Rebecca opened the automatic door. The first thing that hit him was the smell of blood, the flailing tentacles glistening with it. Stepping cautiously into the lab, his eyes immediately went to the treatment table and Billy. The Marine's back was arched, pushed upwards by the parasite's tentacles, the table under Billy red with the blue-eyed man's blood. Edwin's hand went to his mouth. "Oh god..."

"Don't take too long," Rebecca hissed, her eyes on Billy.

If Lifeline heard the young woman, he made no acknowledgement as he took a few more steps into the lab. "B-Billy..." The tentacles slowed their flailing, Billy slumping a little in his restraints. The skin around the heavy leather straps was bruised, some of it rubbed an angry red. No words escaped the Marine, only a low, pained groan. "Billy..." Edwin's voice was hushed as he approached the treatment table, warily watching the whiplike cords that were still moving around the Marine's prone form.

They hovered now, almost watchful, sagging a little in what might be fatigue or pain.

"C'mon Devil Dog, let me hear something."

"... hurts..."

Lifeline felt relieved momentarily when Billy responded. "I know," he said, now only a few feet away from the other man. The Marine's skin was extremely pale, more than likely due to blood loss, his body glistening with perspiration. "I just need you to calm down and let this thing know we're not going to hurt it."

"I don't think... it'll listen..." Billy gasped out, closing his eyes, trying to will the tentacles to lower, then gasping sharply again when the attempt to wrest control from the parasite only seemed to enrage it, and pain swept through him again.

"Billy!" Edwin called out to the other man as he moved to close the distance between them.

Billy tried to call out to Edwin, but the pain was too all-encompassing, the tentacles lashing out and wrapping around the medic's arms and waist as he drew closer. The grip was strong but not meant to cause pain. Lifeline froze in his tracks as the he felt the whiplike cords encirlce him, fear washing over him.

"Edwin!" Rebecca cried out as she stood in the automatic doorway, pistol in hand. She couldn't risk a shot and she knew it, but the weapon reassured her.

The medic scarcely dared to breath, let alone look over his shoulder at the sound of the young woman's voice. "D-Don't – don't come in here..." he warned.

"Are you all right?"

"S-So far... it's just h-holding on to me."

"A-Alright..." Rebecca fell silent then, watching the scene unfolding before her, feeling the first nagging of doubt at havng let Lifeline enter the treatment room.

Edwin remained immobile, afraid to move in fear of the parasite taking it as a sign of aggression. "I'm not going to hurt you..." he said as he looked at Billy, still unsure of just how cognizant the creature might be.

Billy's eyes opened, glazed over now, his breathing slow and even as the tentacles tightened around Edwin just a little. It wasn't being threatening, but it clearly had no intentions of letting the medic go. Lifeline's eyes were still on his lover, more concerned about the Marine that he was for himself. "Rebecca," he called out to the young woman. "I think he's going into shock. He's going to bleed out if we don't do something."

"Do you think it'll let me bring a medkit to you?"

"I don't know, but we have to do something."

Even as they spoke, the hold the tentacles had on Edwin started growing lax. One of the fleshy ropes released Edwin's arm to touch his cheek. The parasite's touch was tentative, uncertain, or so it seemed. "It... it knows what we're trying to do," Billy whispered softly.

The unexpected touch caused Edwin to jump a bit, the tentacle leaving a smudge of Billy's blood on the medic's cheek. The touch jerked away from Edwin, before the tentacle fell away entirely, hanging limply down to the ground. "Edwin?" Rebecca whispered from the doorway.

"I think it's okay, Rebecca." Lifeline responded, his eyes going to the now immobile appendage. The other fleshy cords were slowly losing their grip, Billy's body going slack in the restraints.

The medic's gaze went back to his lover, the tentatcle around Edwin's waist loosening but still holding him. Unlike before when the parasite had retreated, it didn't appear to be drawing back into Billy's body. Nor did it seem like the wounds in the Marine's back were closing this time either, the blood gathering on the table under Billy's body still darkening. "I think there's something wrong." Edwin called over his shoulder to Rebecca, daring to turn his head a bit this time so that he could see the young woman. "They're not retracting."

"Well, we _did_ manage to hit it before everything fell apart," Rebecca said. "I guess we damaged it worse than we thought..."

Even as she spoke, the next tentacle fell away from Edwin's other arm to join the first. "I think it's dying."

"I think you're right..." Rebecca said, watching as the tentacles around Edwin's torso tightened a little in a kind of embrace, before falling away. Edwin caught the fleshlike rope in his hand, looking down at it in a kind of morbid fascination. It was still pulsing faintly, and the extra length wrapped around his hand weakly.

"I'm sorry," the medic whispered softly as he brushed the fingertips of his other hand over the slick surface. There was another faint tightening of the tentacle before it, too, went slack.

Gently, Edwin set the the now lifeless appendage down on the floor before rushing over to Billy, his long legs quickly closing the short distance between them. "Billy!" Reaching out, he put his fingers on the Marine's pale neck, the other man's skin cool to the touch, to check his pulse. It was weak but still detectable, and the Marine made a soft sound at Edwin's touch. "Rebecca!" Lifeline called out as he looked over his shoulder. "Billy's pulse is weak and he's lost a lot of blood. We need an emergency team in here, stat! If the parasite is dead then the wound isn't going to close."

"Already on it," Rebecca said, heading back toward the door to inform the rest of her medical team waiting in the hall.

Edwin went to work on the restraints. "C'mon, soldier boy, you can't leave me yet..." he whispered as he worked at the leather bindings.

"Not...going...anywhere..." Billy whispered, right before he blacked out.

* * *

Billy was rushed into surgery, Edwin and Rebecca numbly trailing after the team as they raced down the hall. The most major concern had been to close up the wound on the Marine's back to try to stop the bleeding and get him stablized. Since he was not allowed to accompany Billy into the surgical suite, Lifeline instead did the only other thing that he could think of to help his lover. The medic donated blood, knowing that more than likely Billy would require a transfusion. Since the medic had been treating the Marine prior to Rebecca's arrival at Joe Headquarters, he knew Billy's blood type and knew that they would be a match. Feeling a little lightheaded himself, Lifeline had returned to the surgical unit to wait for news.

It was perhaps seven or eight hours later before one of the surgeons emerged to quietly speak with Rebecca, the young woman having rejoined Edwin after she had briefly left with Bruce McGivern. The wound in Billy's back had been closed, after the surgeons had had to remove the tentacles, cutting them away but leaving the body of the parasite per Rebecca's specific instructions. As integrated into Billy's system as the creature had been, even dead it would be impossible to remove without possibly killing the Marine. While the wound had been closed, Billy would still require additional surgery and skins grafts to repair the damage. As Rebecca spoke, Edwin couldn't help but wonder if Billy's coveted Marine insignia tattoo had managed to survive somehow. He had wanted to see Billy, but the Marine was in critical condition and in the recovery room still under anesthesia and would be unconscious for a time yet. Rebecca had suggested that Edwin return to his room and try to rest, promising that she would let him know when he could see Billy.

Reluctantly, Edwin had done as the young woman suggested, trudging back to the room he had been given. Once inside, he had called into Joe Headquarters, Duke being none too happy at having been cut off and demanding to know what had happened. Lifeline had explained as best he could, finishing up with Rebecca's report on Billy's condition. The medic had asked his commanding officer to let him stay for a few more days, but Duke had remained steadfast in his refusal, reminding Edwin that his first responsibility was to the Joe team. Lifeline had wearily acquiesced, promising to leave the STRATCOM facility first thing in the morning. Perhaps hearing the weary, defeated tone in the medic's voice, Duke had agreed, telling Edwin that if he wasn't back at Joe Headquarters by the end of the next day, then he would be considered A.W.O.L.

Edwin had signed off and then stumbled to the shower, only to fall into bed right afterwards; yet as bone weary as he felt, he couldn't fall asleep. Bleary-eyed, the medic had managed to hunt down Bruce McGivern very early the next morning and arrange for one of the STRATCOM aircraft to take him back to The Pit. Before he left however, he went to see Billy.

* * *

The Marine was laid out on his stomach, unconscious and sleeping deeply. He was still pale, but his skin had lost its waxy appearance. Rebecca was sitting next to his bed, holding one of his hands and watching him quietly. The only sounds in the room were the quiet sounds of his monitoring equipment. Edwin paused in the doorway when he saw Rebecca before his eyes immediately went to Billy's unconscious form. Rebecca heard the door, however, and glanced over her shoulder at him. "They still calling you back?"

The medic pulled his gaze away from the Marine. "Yeah," he said quietly as he stepped into the room. "If I'm not back by the end of the day, Duke is going to report me A.W.O.L." Lifeline moved around to the opposite side of the bed, his eyes going to the monitors for a moment to see his lover's vital signs. "How's he doing?" he asked the young woman, turning his attention back to Billy. "Has he woken up yet?"

"No, he's been out the whole time," Rebecca replied quietly. "But his prognosis is good. Once we can get, and keep, him stabilized, we can schedule him for at least one more treatment. Just to make sure that parasite is completely neutralized."

Edwin reached out, his long fingers combing through the shaggy dark hair at the back of the Marine's head. It was a gesture that under normal circumstances he never would have made in public; but since Rebecca was privvy to the true nature of his relationship with Billy, he allowed himself to. "I'll email you or call you or something daily with a progress report for him," Rebecca offered softly. "I know it's not the same as being here for his recovery yourself, but..."

The medic nodded as he looked at the young woman. "You're the only person I can trust to take care of him." he said softly. "You're the only person who cares about him like I do."

Rebecca smiled a little. "I wish I could give you an estimate on how long it'll take to get him well enough to come home... but we'll see. He's a tough guy, and I know he'll be anxious to get back to you." She replied, looking back at Edwin.

Lifeline's fingers slid from Billy's hair. "Thank you, Rebecca." he said, his voice breaking a little and his eyes beginning to mist over a bit.

Releasing Billy's hand, Rebecca walked around the bed and slid her arms around Edwin from behind in what she hoped was a reassuring embrace. "There's nothing to thank me for." She murmured.

"He might be like that poor woman at Lakeview right now if it weren't for you."

"Tell you what. The next time I get out that way, you two can take me to dinner or something, and we'll call it square. Sound like a plan?"

"Dinner, movie, shopping spree... the whole nine yards." Lifeline said, the hint of a smile curling his lips a bit.

The faint smile carried over into his voice, and Rebecca tightened her hold a little. "Deal then," she said softly. "There's only one thing I want you to do for me in the meantime."

The medic turned in Rebecca's embrace. "Anything," he said as he looked down at her.

"Try to play it cool for the next couple of weeks, okay?" She asked, smiling a little. "Make nice with the people we've been straining relations with trying to get Billy taken care of. I don't want you getting into any more trouble."

Edwin's smile widened just a fraction. "Agreed."

"Good," she said, nodding, then after a moment, added with a soft blush. "Oh, and... um, say hi to Mainframe for me?"

"Mainframe, huh?" Despite his mood, the medic couldn't help but chuckle a bit. "I think he'll be happy to hear that you haven't forgotten him."

"No, I didn't... but all things considered... well... I'm hoping he and everybody else'll forgive me once Billy's back safe and sound."

"I don't think you'll have to worry about that," Lifeline said as he moved to embrace the young woman. "Thank you," he reiterated once more.

Rebecca returned the hug warmly. "You're welcome," she replied

The medic held Rebecca for several moments before letting her go. "I've only got a few more minutes before I have to meet Agent Kennedy."

"Want me to see you off?" She asked, smiling a bit.

"You don't have to," Edwin replied softly. "I'd kind of like you to stay with Billy, I – I wouldn't want him to wake up and be alone."

"You got it," Rebecca said. "I'll try to email or call tonight, and let you know how he's doing, okay?"

Lifeline nodded as he turned back to look at Billy. "If he gives you any trouble, let me know. I'l come and straighten him out for you."

Rebecca chuckled softly. "Done."

Reaching out once more, Edwin brushed his fingers through Billy's dark hair before he leaned down and pressed a kiss to the top of the Marine's head.

"You'd better get going," Rebecca said softly. "Don't want 'em thinking you're not going."

The medic looked at his unconscious lover for a few more minutes before he pulled his hand away and straightened up. Turning around to face Rebecca once more, he gave her another hug. "Take care of him for me," he said before releasing her.

"I will," she said softly.


	20. Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty

 

Lifeline's return to The Pit was relatively quiet, with only a few of his fellow Joes seeking out the medic to get a report on their comrade. Edwin was, of course, summoned directly Duke's office upon his arrival back, the big blonde grilling his subordinate on what had happened at the STRATCOM facility after he had been unceremoniously disconnected by the medic. Lifeline had answered all of Duke's questions quietly, his tone surprisingly calm despite the myriad of emotions that were still swirling within him. Once Duke had been satisfied as far as Devil Dog was concerned, the hard-eyed blonde had then verbally laid into the medic regarding his conduct and attitude over the past few weeks. By the time he had finished, Duke's voice was noticiably hoarse as he dismissed Lifeline.

True to her word, Rebecca called or e-mailed Edwin with a daily update on Billy's condition, assuring the medic that the Marine's prognosis was still looking good. Though he wanted to be there to see his lover's progress himself, Lifeline had to content himself with Rebecca's reports. About a month or so after his return, Edwin had mentioned to the young woman that he wanted to come and see Billy, only to be told that the Marine didn't want want any visitors and was quite adamant. Edwin had been upset, though in the end he had given in to his lover's wishes and remained home.

The weeks passed into months with Rebecca's reports slowing to every other day then every few days to once or twice a week. Though Billy didn't want anyone to visit him, the Marine did call Edwin a few times, the blue-eyed man speaking briefly to reassure Lifeline that he was alright and would be back soon. While the calls did lessen some of Edwin's anxiety, he still wished that he could see Billy in person. The medic also found himself fielding several calls from Billy's son, the boy concernced since he had not heard from his father in several weeks. Edwin had tried to reassure Robby that his father was alright and that he would call him as soon as he could.

While Billy remained at the STRATCOM facility, life at Joe Headquarters continued on with the team responding to various threats and natural disasters. After the destruction of Lakeview, Cobra had pretty much gone to ground, the terrorist organization falling quiet except for a few quickly quelled strikes. Zarana had apparently escaped the destruction of the facility, the mercenary having been spotted in Australia several weeks later by an undercover C.I.A. agent.

Lifeline found himself falling into a daily routine of his own, the medic taking up running once again, getting up early in the morning to jog around the indoor track at headquarters before reporting for duty. He also returned to practicing Aikido, having taken the Japanse martial art up while in high school, but letting it slide over the past few years. Quick Kick, one of the Joe's resident martial arts experts, had been more than happy to assist the medic as a sparring partner. Between work, running and Aikido, Edwin tried to keep himself busy.

Lifeline was glad for any distraction, no matter how small, for it kept him from dwelling on what had happened with the parasite, how the creature had appeared to reach out to him, as if trying to plead with him to help it. Edwin found himself haunted by the thought that the parasite had seemed to be much more sentient that any of them had believed; and more than once, he found himself wondering if they had done the right thing by destroying it. True, the parasite had struck out at them, but it had only done so because it had felt threatened; and it had not physically harmed them. The more he thought about it, the medic couldn't help but question whether killing the parasite had been the only alternative or if it had merely been the most convenient.

* * *

By the end of a five month period, things had gone silent everywhere, it seemed. No more reports came out of the STRATCOM base. No phone calls, either. Rebecca was hard to reach, new threats and potential B.O.W. sightings keeping her and the rest of the team busy. In her last report, two weeks before, Rebecca had done her best to assure Edwin that the reconstructive surgery on Billy's back had gone extremely well. He would scar, but not overmuch, and the places the grafts were taken from would, in the long run, leave few marks of their own. Since that report, however, there had been nothing.

Because of this, there was no fanfare when a small sleek plane landed on the Joe airstrip, and there was only one person to meet it. Shielding his blue eyes with his hand, Duke watched the craft as it touched down, the big blonde man's countenance cool as he waited for its passengers to disembark.

There were only two. One was Rebecca Chambers. The other, of course, was Billy Coen himself. As the man stepped off the plane, it was clear he had spent a lot of time recovering. His tan had paled considerably, and he leaned slightly against Rebecca for support. But he was visibly in good health, his appearance not out of place for a man who'd been through what he had. Although unsteady, Billy was a soldier first and foremost, and when he saw Duke finally, he snapped into a shaky but still precise salute. The Joe Field Commander returned the Marine's salute. "Welcome back, Devil Dog."

"Thank you, Sir," Billy replied, dropping out of the salute slowly. "And thank you for keeping this quiet."

Duke nodded his blonde head mutely, his attention moving to the young woman at Billy's side. "Doctor Chambers," he said, his tone neutral, the big man still under the impression that Rebecca had used her outside influence to have Billy taken into custody by STRATCOM.

"Sir," Rebecca replied, her own tone neutral as she stepped forward, offering an envelope to the larger man. "This is the Lieutenant's medical records, spanning the time he's spent with us at our treatment facility." She smiled. "I'm pleased to say we've given him a clean bill of health. He only requires physical therapy to get him back to his old standards, and he'll be good as new."

The blonde man took the envelope. "Thank you, Doctor." His icy blue gaze swept to Billy once again. "I know of quite a few people who will be happy to see you."

"It'll be good to see everyone again," Billy replied with a smile. "But if it's all the same to you, Sir, would it be possible to get out of the sun?"

"The antibiotics he's taking have made him a little photo-sensitive," Rebecca explained.

"Of course," Duke replied. "Right this way." He indicated the waiting vehicle which was thankfully not the usual topless jeep, but a sedate dark sedan.

The waiting driver got out of the car and opened the back passenger door for Billy and Rebecca, waiting until the pair had settled inside before returning to the driver's seat. Once Duke was also safely ensconced, the car started on it's way to the main complex building.

The drive itself was relatively short, which kept conversation to a bare minimum. The vehicle parked in front of the main entrance, the Green Shirt driver once again opening the door for Rebecca and Billy, the young recruit even assisting the Marine out of the car. Rebecca, however, made no move to get out of the vehicle. "I imagine I'm still not terribly popular in there," she said quietly, her tone steady in spite of the restless jittering of her hands. "Unless you need to speak with me, Duke," she said. "It might be best if I don't stay."

Duke's eyebrow rose slightly as he looked at the young woman quietly for a moment or two. "That's your decision, Doctor."

"You should at least be here long enough to talk to Lifeline," Billy replied, leaning against the car and watching the interior of the vehicle quietly. "I'm never going to remember to tell him everything you wanted me to, about the prescriptions and stuff."

Rebecca blinked; she had completely forgotten about that. Then her gaze slid to Duke. "If that's all right."

"I know there are some hard feelings, Doctor, but we did all have the same goal in mind," Duke replied.

She nodded. "All right, then," she said, and slid out of the car with as much dignity as she could muster. Billy gave her a pat on the shoulder in reassurance. Indicating that the others should follow him, Duke headed into the building.

Billy was right behind him, Rebecca walking in step with Billy, wanting to be nearby should he require her assistance. As they passed through the automatic doors, a pair of Green Shirt guards snapped to attention at the sight of their commanding officer, the only people to be seen as the trio made their way down the hallway. Duke's intent was to deliver Devil Dog and Doctor Chambers into Lifeline's immediate care since it seemed as though the young woman didn't intend to stay any longer than was necessary. They had just reached the elevator when a female voice called out. "Duke!"

The big blonde turned around, recognizing the voice even before it's owner came into view. Not quite running, Scarlett hurried after the small group, the flame-haired woman breaking into a beaming smile as her blue eyes fell on Billy. "Devil Dog!"

Billy's eyes brightened and he felt his lips breaking into a grin of his own. "Hey, pretty lady," he teased. "Miss me?"

"No fair," Scarlett said giving the Marine a playful punch in the arm as she reached him. "Not telling anyone you were coming." Standing on her toes, she gave Billy a hug.

Billy laughed at the punch and returned the hug warmly. "Didn't wanna get tackled right off the chopper," he replied, still grinning. "Besides, who ever started that vicious rumor I was fair?"

"And you," Scarlett turned her sapphire gaze to Duke as she released Billy. "You never said a word either."

The big blonde held his palms up. "It was Devil Dog who wanted it kept hush hush."

"Aww, don't beat him up too bad," Billy said, clearly amused at the exchange. "It really was all my idea."

Rebecca couldn't help but cover a smile with her hand.

Scarlett chuckled a bit her eyes going back to Billy. "It's good to have you back."

"Thanks," the Marine replied. "How're my little minions holding up in my absence?"

"Beach Head has been keeping them in line," the red-head replied. "I'm sure they'll be happy to hear that you're back."

While Scarlett and Devil Dog talked, Duke pushed the button to call the elevator, sure that if the red-head knew of the Marine's return then it was a sure bet that the news was making the rounds around the compound and it wouldn't be long before the returning man was inundated with well-wishers. Rebecca fell silent as Scarlett and Devil Dog kept talking, feeling a little uneasy and restless. To her credit, she wasn't fidgeting, but when Duke hit the elevator's call button, she let her eyes drift to the indicator lights, watching them in an effort to keep her mind occupied. It didn't take long for the car to arrive, a ping sounding as the door slid open revealing the empty interior. "Why don't you and Devil Dog go the rest of the way down yourselves?" Duke offered up to Rebecca, the blonde man holding the door of the elevator to keep it from closing before its passengers could enter.

Rebecca blinked at that, clearly taken off-guard. "If you're sure that's all right," She said.

"I don't see why it wouldn't be. I'm sure between the two of you, you should be able to remember how to get to the infirmary." Duke handed the envelope containing Devil Dog's medical records back to the young woman.

"Easy, boss-man, I can get her down there," Billy said, his conversation with Scarlett concluded, the smile still on his face as he turned toward Duke and Rebecca. "My back's still out, but my head works fine."

"Well as it ever did," Rebecca remarked dryly, not quite sure if she appreciated banter being made at her expense, and finding herself wondering if Duke was poking fun at her or not.

Billy looked down at her, scooting her into the elevator car. "See if I play knight in shining armor for you again, Miss Do-it-Yourself," he said, using a nickname Rebecca hadn't heard since the Training Facility all those years ago.

Scarlett was still beaming as the door started to close, the redhead starting to say something about celebrating when her words were cut off as the elevator door sealed shut and the car started to descend.

Their walk to the infirmary was taken quietly, Rebecca in her unease and Billy wrapped in his own thoughts and excitement at getting to see Edwin again. He hadn't told the medic of his homecoming, of course, wanting it to be a surprise to him. Heck, he hadn't told anyone to expect his return except Duke.

As the pair entered the infirmary, a few people within glanced up, the eyes of those that did widening a bit at the sight of the Marine, who had become well known to the staff due to his close friendship with Lifeline. The initial shock was quickly replaced by smiles and murmur's of "welcome back" as more and more of the staff took notice of Devil Dog and Doctor Chambers.

One of the last to notice the pair however, was the ever reliable Lydia Sorenson, the blonde nurse having been caught up in conversation with the medic from Billy's B.O.W. Unit, Marcel Hancock. Lifting her head, Sorenson caught sight of the newcomers and she quickly shook her companion's arm, alerting him to their presence. Hancock blinked at the shaking, then looked over. When he saw what Sorenson was pointing out, however, his eyes lit up and he beckoned to her. "C'mon," He said quickly. "We gotta go say hi."

Billy, for his own part, was a little embarassed at the attention, but bore it well, returning the smiles and murmurs with almost shy waves. Trailing after Marcel, Lydia Sorenson couldn't help smiling as they reached Billy and Rebecca. "Devil Dog, Sir!"

Billy paused at the sound of his name, and Rebecca smiled when she saw who was approaching. Hancock was all grins as well as they reached the pair. "Sir!" He said, snapping to attention.

Billy returned the salute with one of his own and shook his head. "At ease, soldier."

Hancock relaxed out of the salute and studied Billy for a few moments, a broad grin on his face as he met his commanding officer's eyes and spoke. "With all due respect, Sir," he said. "You look terrible."

"With all due respect, Hancock," Billy echoed, grinning himself, "bite me."

Rebecca couldn't help but roll her eyes, amused in spite of herself. Sorenson found herself trying to stifle a giggle, the young blonde woman standing very close to Hancock. "It's good to see you back, Sir." she said. "And you too, Doctor."

"Yeah, welcome back, Doctor," Hancock said, his eyes going to Sorenson briefly before back to Rebecca.

"Thank you," Rebecca said, her smile warming some at that, and then noticed the byplay between the two of them. "It looks like the two of you are getting along well in our absence."

Lydia blushed faintly, something that she rarely did. Hancock did the same, and smiled. "Well...yeah..."

Billy chuckled, then looked at Sorenson. "Be gentle with him," he said with a wink. "I want my medic in the best possible shape."

"Speaking of medics," Rebecca stepped in before the teasing could go on too much longer. "Is Lifeline in?"

"Not right now," Sorenson replied, as she looked down at her watch. "Although he should be back in about fifteen or twenty minutes." The blonde looked back up at Billy and Rebecca. "He's probably with Quick Kick. They've been training a couple of times a week for the past few months at about this time."

"Okay," Billy said, nodding. "So what now, Doc?" He asked Rebecca.

She smiled. "Let's wait for him here."

It took a little time, but they managed to get everyone to promise not to give them away, and went to wait in Edwin's office.

* * *

Showered and dressed in his trademark red and white uniform, Lifeline entered the infirmary. The medic was immediately struck by the silence that seemed to fall upon his entry, his brows crooking together a bit as he glanced around at the staff. Edwin found himself frowning as gazes were dropped as he looked around the room, his brown eyes finally fastening on Lydia Sorenson and Marcel Hancock, the pair, who had become an apparent item in the insuing months, giggling a bit as they glanced in his direction before quickly looking away. "Everything alright, Lieutenant?" Lifeline asked as he approached Sorenson's desk.

"Uh, yes Sir," the young woman replied as she got to her feet and gave him a salute. "Fine, Sir."

"Corporal," Edwin said to Hancock with a slight nod of his head.

"Sir," Hancock said, standing himself and saluting the older man.

Lifeline returned the salutes. "I'll be in my office," the medic informed Sorenson before stepping away and towards the short hall that lead to his small office.

"Yes, Sir." came the reply.

As he walked, Lifeline glanced back over his shoulder, his frown deepening a bit as the two junior officers, their heads close together, giggled as they watched him walk away. Edwin could only shake his head and tell himself that he was being paranoid as he made his way to his office and opened the door, having left it unlocked.

Billy and Rebecca had been conversing quietly, but the moment they heard Lifeline's voice in the room outside, they had quieted, Rebecca nudging the door completely shut so Lifeline wouldn't know anything was amiss. She had found a seat just out of sight, while Billy stood, leaning against the desk so he would be sure to be the first thing noticed as Edwin entered. He felt a little silly, but Rebecca had assured him it was a good idea. They both looked toward the door as it opened, and waited anxiously to find out if she was right.

Lifeline pushed open the door and had just taken a step over the threashhold when his dark gaze fell on the figure of the man leaning against his desk. The medic froze, his eyes widening. "B-Billy..." he managed to fumble out. "Oh – Oh my god..."

The Marine only smiled. "Surprise..."

Edwin's hand went to his chest, the brown-eyed man uncertain what to do since there were so many things running through his mind at that moment. "Close the door," Billy murmured softly, seeing the other man's indecision. Stepping out of the doorway, the medic shut the door, his eyes never leaving the other brunette. The Marine pushed away from the desk then, and making sure the door was closed completely, opened his arms to the other man silently. There was no hesitation as Edwin all but threw himself into the waiting arms of his long absent lover, his chocolate brown eyes misting up a bit as he wrapped his arms around Billy.

Billy embraced the other man tightly, closing his eyes, reveling in the warmth and scent and touch of his lover. The sensations were intoxicating for their intensity, and having been so long apart, they were only amplified that much more. Moisture beaded on Lifeline's dark lashes, his hold on the Marine just as tight, half afraid that he was dreaming as Billy's warm body pressed against his. Edwin's hand slid upwards, his fingers sliding into the dark strands of of hair, which were much longer than they had been the last time that the medic had seen the other man, at the back of Billy's head.

Billy made a soft purring sound at the touch, tilting his head to let it rest on Edwin's shoulder. "Damn but I've missed you," he murmured.

"It's been so long," Edwin whispered. "I can't believe you're here..."

"I'm here," Billy replied. "I'm home, and I'm not going anywhere anytime soon..." Lifeline pulled back a bit, his fingers sliding from the other man's hair as he brought his hand to Billy's cheek, his fingers and thumb gliding over the plans of the Marine's face as he looked at him with glistening eyes unsure as to whether he wanted to cry or smile. "Sorry I didn't tell you," Billy murmured as the fingers slipped away. "But I wanted to surprise you."

"You certainly did that," Edwin said softly. "I'm not so sure my heart didn't stop when I saw you." The medic slipped his other arm from around Billy and brought both his hands up, cupping the Marine's face. "Why? Why didn't you want me to come and see you?" he asked, his coffee colored gaze on the other man. "Were you mad at me because I couldn't stay?"

"Why would I be mad at you over that?" Billy asked, smiling at the touch. "It wasn't your call, lover..."

"Then why didn't you want me there? I wanted to be there with you so much..."

"I didn't really want anybody there," Billy murmured softly, closing his eyes. "I looked like hell, I felt worse...I...really didn't want anybody to see me like that."

"Like I haven't seen you looking like death warmed over before." As he spoke, Lifeline's hands slid away from the Marine's face and settled on Billy's upper arms. Admittedly, Billy did look five hundred times better then the last time Edwin had seen him, though he was much paler and leaner.

"That was different."

"Stubborn Marine..." Edwin murmured as he leaned in to kiss Billy.

The blue-eyed man smiled into the kiss, making a soft sound in agreement of Edwin's assessment. The kiss was gentle and over all too soon, some part of Lifeline's mind still conscious of where the two of them were. Despite the closed door, there was still the possibility of someone walking in on the two of them. As the kiss ended, Edwin settled his arms around Billy in a hug once again. "So now that we're done giving Rebecca a free show," Billy murmured after they remained in that embrace for several minutes. "You might wanna say hi."

"Rebecca?" Edwin immediately dropped his arms and stepped back from the other man, turning to look around for the young woman, the medic blushing darkly when his coffee-colored gaze found her. The young doctor was smiling, clearly embarassed herself at having been witness to such a private moment. She raised her hand and gave a little wave. "R-Rebecca..." Lifeline said haltingly, feeling the heat of another flush as it crept over his face.

"Hi, Edwin," She said softly, rising to her feet.

"N-Nice...nice to see you again."

"It's good to see you too," She said, and meant it, walking over as Billy released Edwin and giving the medic a warm hug.

Lifeline returned the embrace, though he was still feeling embarassed. "I should've known you'd be here too."

"Well somebody had to see Billy home," She said, pulling back a little to get a better look at Edwin. "You're looking well, though."

"You too."

"Thanks," She said, smiling a bit. "And sorry about the reports dropping off like they did. We were in kind of a hurry to wrap up Billy's treatments so we could get him home."

Edwin nodded. "I just figured that you were busy. If something had happened you would have let me know."

"Absolutely."

The medic released the young woman from his embrace. "So you're finally sick of him and ready to pawn him back on us, huh?"

"Well, you know how it is," Rebecca replied, grinning. "We decided this pup was ready to come home and see his loved ones."

"Pup?" Billy asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Down boy," Edwin said to the other man, a grin finding its way to his face as well.

"You two are a bad influence on one another."

"No," Rebecca corrected. "You've been a bad influence on both of us."

"Which means you have no one to blame but yourself." Lifeline added.

Billy laughed at that, and said nothing more on the subject. Rebecca smiled a little at that, and looked at Lifeline again. "He's not at one-hundred percent again yet," she said, and proceeded to explain to Edwin about the physical therapy Billy would still need. "We may have to call him back for another skin graft or two as well," she said softly. "But it's a slim chance."

Edwin listened intently, ocassionally breaking in to ask a question or two. By the time Rebecca had finished, the medic had a pretty good picture of just what needed to still be done to insure Billy's complete recovery. "We have a really good P.T. facility," he said afterwards. "Billy used it when he first came here, when he was in our custody while everything got cleared up."

"He mentioned it," Rebecca said with a nod, then smiled. "How do you think I talked the higher-ups into letting go of him so soon?"

It was Lifeline's turn to smile at that. "I'm sure Beach Head won't mind setting up a routine for him. He's our physical training expert," he added for Rebecca's benefit since she had never met the taciturn Joe.

Rebecca nodded at that and smiled a bit. "I'm looking forward to seeing him back up to full capacity again."

"We all are," Edwin said as his coffee-colored gaze went to the Marine.

Billy smiled some. "Definitely."

The rest of the afternoon passed rather quickly as Billy went through a physical as part of his reinstatement with the Joes since he had been given a medical leave of absence during his time at the STRATCOM facility. Lifeline also spent some more time with Rebecca, going over the various medications that the Marine had been given and was still taking, as well as things to look for that could become potential problems with Billy's continued recovery. The three of them were interrupted several times by well wishers, Devil Dog's fellow Joes stopping by to welcome him back to the fold until Edwin had been forced to issue orders that they were no to be disturbed unless it was an emergency.

Other then his still slightly weakened physical state, Billy was given a clean bill of health and officiallly reinstated with the team, although with limited duties. During the exam, Lifeline filled Billy in on what had been going on since he had been away, particularly with Nina Hutchinson taking her rightful place in the Marine's bio-weapons unit, which had temporarily been put under Beach Head's command during Billy's absence. Edwin also broke the news that Kenya Strong had been given a temporary leave of absence and left the base, the young woman still trying to come to grips with what had happened at Lakeview. She had recently been given an additional ninety days to either report back for duty, request a transfer out of the Joes, or submit a request for a medical discharge from the service altogether.

Most of the news Billy took well. He was pleased to hear about Hutchinson taking her proper place in the unit, although the news about Strong visibly depressed him. Not for the first time, he wished he'd had a chance to talk to Strong himself, but she wouldn't come near any of them. Billy didn't blame her. He had heard the stories about what had happened in Lakeview, and of course he knew about Raphael Hopper's death in the facility. So her leave, in and of itself, hadn't surprised him. That she had been given the additional ninety days, however, was a more depressing blow. In a situation like this one, a choice like that would likely mean Strong would ask for a transfer out of the Joes, or a discharge from the service. And while she would go with his blessing, it still hurt.

Once Billy had been squared away as far as the infirmary was concerned, Edwin had accompanied the Marine down to the central personnel office to have all of his security clearances reinstated. Billy was visibly fatigued by the time the pair returned to Lifeline's office where Rebecca had waited for them, the two of them walking in to find her in conversation with Mainframe, the computer tech having stopped by under some pretense of upgrading the operating system on the medic's p.c.

Contrary to their last meeting, Rebecca seemed much more willing to allow herself to be engaged in conversation, and blushed softly as Billy and Edwin entered the room. The Marine shot her a knowing look, which only made her blush darker. Without a blink or a blush, Mainframe smoothly welcomed Devil Dog back, giving the Marine's hand a firm handshake before making his exit, the dark haired man giving Rebecca a wink as he departed. "Maingrame, huh?" Billy asked, clearly tired, but not too tired to rib her a little. "I'm kinda surprised."

Rebecca's blush hadn't faded at all from Mainframe's departing wink, and she gave Billy a tiny shove. "Don't read too much into it yet, Billy," she scolded. "He just wanted to look at the computer terminal in here, that's all."

"Did he actually look at it?" Edwin asked.

"He did something to it...I think..." Rebecca replied sheepishly, realizing she hadn't been paying enough attention to know for certain.

The medic could only chuckle and smile. Billy did the same, and then shook his head. "So are you staying in town for a few days, Rebecca?" he asked, "Or are you needed back right away?"

Rebecca smiled a bit. "I was granted a little leave time, since I've been so wrapped up with your case. I hadn't really decided how to spend it yet."

"I hope you can stay for another day at least," Edwin said. "I still owe you a dinner."

"Well, since I wasn't chased out of here with pitchforks and torches, I think I wouldn't mind sticking around for a few days, at least," She said, smiling more warmly.

"I think if you would have shown up without Devil Dog here, you might have been." Lifeline looked at Billy as he spoke, his brown eyes eyes lingering on the other man as a faint smile found it's way to his lips.

Billy grinned faintly back, then looked at Rebecca. "Regardless of what they think of your methods, Becca," He said. "No one here is going to argue with results." Then he grinned. "And besides, looks like you might have somebody else to play knight in shining armor once in a while now."

"Oh will you lay off?" Rebecca said, looking away, embarassed. "Shouldn't the two of you be going home or something?"

Billy chuckled. "Soon as the man here is finished with his work." His blue eyes slid over to Edwin. "It'll be nice to be home again..."

Billy's words pleased the medic, that the Marine thought of Edwin's place as home made his smile widen a fraction more. "Just give me a couple of minutes," he said as he moved around the desk and sat down, turning the swivel chair towards the computer so that he could finish a few things before quitting for day. "What about you Rebecca?" he asked as he worked. "I can arrange something here in the guest quarters if you like, or there's a nice hotel in town."

"I wouldn't want to impose here," Rebecca said with a smile. "I can get a room at the hotel."

Pausing momentarily, Lifeline reached into one of the drawers and pulled out a copy of the local phone book which he handed to Billy. "Here, why don't you call the Carlton and make a reservation for Rebecca." He instructed as he moved to pull out his wallet. "Have them bill it to me," he continued on as he opened his wallet and pulled out his credit card, tossing it on the desk near the Marine.

Rebecca blinked. "Oh...you don't have to do that..." she said, looking from one man to the other as Billy picked up the phone book, and started hunting for the number.

Edwin waved off the young woman's protest. "I want to Rebecca." he said softly. "It's the least I can do in return for everything that you did for me – and Billy."

"Well...I guess I can't argue with that," Rebecca replied. "Thank you..."

"So make sure you take advantage of it," the medic said with a smile. "Room service, massage, the whole bit."

"That's really not—"

Billy chuckled. "In other words, you'd better spoil yourself, Becca, you deserve it," He said, marking the number he was looking for with his finger as he dialed, his other hand moving to slide Edwin's credit card closer.

Letting Billy take care of arranging for Rebecca's lodging, Lifeline returned to his work, the medic anxious to finish up and head home with the Marine. By the time Edwin was finished, Billy had booked Rebecca for three days in the local hotel, and she was still slightly overwhelmed but clearly more than a little pleased at the accomodations. Shutting down his p.c., Lifeline straightened up his desk a bit before the three headed out. They took a slight detour so that Rebecca could retrieve the overnight bag that she had brought with her from the STRATCOM plane that was still parked out on the tarmac before climbing into the medic's Jeep and heading into town.

Stopping at the hotel, the two men went inside with Rebecca, the desk clerk verifying Edwin's identification and signature before issuing a keycard to the young woman for the reserved room. Before they parted ways for the night, she gave both men a warm hug, and promised she would be in touch with them sometime late tomorrow morning, or sometime early in the afternoon. Billy and Edwin saw her as far as the elevator before returning to the medic's vehicle to resume their trip home.


	21. Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty-One

 

Pulling into his parking space in the complex, Lifeline parked the Jeep alongside of Billy's black truck, the medic having driven it once or twice a week to keep the battery from running down while the Marine had been away. Billy smiled fondly at the truck, easing himself out of the Jeep to look the vehicle over. "Thanks for taking care of her while I was gone," he said softly.

"I should've known you'd spend the whole time worrying about your truck." Edwin teased.

"Wasn't the truck I was worried about," Billy said as he ushered Edwin up the stairs toward the condo door.

The medic raised a dark brow but made no reply as they entered the stairwell and started up the stairs. Reaching the second floor, Edwin sorted out the key for the front door from his key ring and unlocked it, pushing it open for Billy, who slipped quietly inside, smiling a bit as he did so. He felt more relaxed in that moment than he had in ages, unable to shake the strong sense of "coming home."

Follwing the Marine inside, Lifeline closed the door before setting his keys down on the small table next to the door and flipping on the light switch. Though it wasn't completely dark yet, the inside of the condo was a bit dim. As the light clicked on, Billy turned back toward Edwin. "You been holding up okay without me around?" he asked quietly.

Edwin had moved to draw the drapes across the front window closed. "As well as I could," he responded softly as he looked at the other man.

"Sorry I didn't stay in touch better." Billy walked over to Edwin as he spoke.

The medic stepped towards the Marine as well, meeting Billy halfway. "You're here," he said as he reached to cup the other man's face in his hands. "That's all that matters."

Billy's arms slid around Edwin, and he smiled. "I was right about one thing, though," he murmured softly. "It feels good to be home." The blue-eyed man's words once again brought a smile to Lifeline's lips and he leaned in to kiss Billy. The Marine returned that kiss gently, holding it for several long moments before pulling back enough to murmur, "Mind if we sit down?"

Edwin nodded as he looked at the other man, concern in his dark eyes. Dropping his hands from Billy's face, he slid his arm around his shoulder. "You look tired," he said as he ushered the Marine over towards the sofa.

"A little, maybe," came the reply. "I've spent way more time than I like to admit cooped up in a bed."

Lifeline moved to sit down, drawing Billy down with him. "Are you hungry?" he inquired, his other hand coming up, his fingertips gently brushing down the side of the other man's face.

"Not really," Billy said, tilting his head into the touch. "For company, mostly."

The medic's hand slid away from his lover's face so that he could embrace Billy, pulling the blue-eyed man closer.

"I've missed you," Billy said, leaning happily into the embrace as he slid his arms around Edwin.

"I wanted to be there," Lifeline said softly. "I wanted to see you so much."

"I know you did," came the soft reply, and Billy looked up at the medic.

Edwin looked down at the other man. "I couldn't believe it when Rebecca said you didn't want to see me."

"Not just you... I..." Billy's gaze dropped. "I didn't really wanna see anybody."

"But I'm just not anybody," the medic said. "Or at least I thought I wasn't."

"Not just anybody... Edwin... I didn't want you to see me like that," He whispered. "I really didn't. I... Jesus Christ, my lower back looked like a lump of hamburger."

"I'm sorry," Lifeline said softly.

"It's not your fault..." Billy said and looked up. "I really wanted you there, but... none of the nurses could look me in the eye... I couldn't have taken it if you'd freaked, too. Besides, you and I both know Duke wouldn't have been too happy if you'd taken off again to see me."

"What I've seen in the past year and a half... I don't think there are too many things that could make me freak out anymore." The medic's eyes were gentle as he met Billy's azure gaze. "Let's just leave it, okay?" he asked, his voice sounding a bit weary. "I don't want to spend your first night back arguing."

"Okay," Billy said, nodding as he tightened his embrace. "Can I just say I'm sorry, and then leave it at that?" Lifeline nodded before he titled his head down a bit to rest his cheek on the Marine's dark hair.

Smiling at that, Billy laid his head against Edwin's shoulder and got comfortable. He didn't plan on moving, nor did he plan on allowing Edwin to move, for a good long while.

* * *

Billy wasn't quite sure when he fell asleep in Edwin's arms. He only knew that when he woke, it was to a warm embrace and the familiar scent of the medic's aftershave. Smiling as he realized where he was and who he was with, he opened his eyes slowly and tried to shift without waking his lover up. His back itched and he wanted a shower, but he didn't want to wake Edwin if he could help it. Despite his best efforts however, Lifeline stirred and blinked awake, his dark eyes immediately falling on Billy as a faint smile curled his lips. Billy smiled back, leaning in to press a gentle kiss to Edwin's lips. "Sorry I woke you," he said quietly, not wanting to break the comfortable stillness in the room.

The medic glanced over at at the television, checking the time display on the VCR on the shelf underneath it. "It's late," he said as he turned his attention back to Billy. "Have a nice nap?"

"Mmhmm... you?"

"Can't complain," Edwin responded.

"Good deal..." Billy smiled a little. "I need a shower."

"So go take one," the medic said with a chuckle. "Or did you get too used to having cute little nurses give you sponge baths?"

"Don't I wish?" Billy asked, and chuckled. "But I won't be long."

"You..." Edwin made an exasperated sound as he loosened his hold on the other man.

Billy kissed Edwin again lightly and managed an impish grin as he stood. The medic stretched a bit before he too rose to his feet. "Do you want something to eat?" he asked.

"Yeah, something light I think," Billy said with a nod. "Food first... then shower."

Lifeline nodded his head before slipping his arm around the other man. "C'mon..." he said as he manuevered them towards the kitchen.

Dinner consisted of sandwiches and soup, both of which were quick and filling. Sitting side by side at the small breakfast bar, their shoulders touching, Edwin and Billy ate quietly. Once the meal was finished, and Billy's requisite dose of antibiotics taken, he hugged Edwin again and gave the medic a nuzzle. "I'm gonna go take that shower now, okay?" he murmured.

"Go ahead," the medic said as he leaned back against Billy a bit. "I'm gonna clean up in here."

"All right. I won't be too long," The Marine promised as he nipped the back of Edwin's neck and slid away, heading for the bedroom, and the bathroom attached to it.

A faint shiver went down Edwin's spine and he turned to watch the other man leave. After a few moments, he rose to his feet and began to clear away the dirty plates and utensils. It didn't take the medic very long to get things squared away, loading everything into the dishwasher though he didn't turn the device on, not wanting to drain away the water pressure from the shower by doing so. His intent was to leave it until the morning after breakfast. Turning off the light as he left the kitchen, he padded back out into the living room checking to make sure the front door was locked before turning off the lights in the main room and heading into the bedroom himself.

The sound of the shower greeted Edwin as he entered, Billy still apparently not quite finished. Stripping off his uniform, Lifeline slipped on his bathrobe before sitting down on the edge of the bed figuring he would take advantage of the shower as well once the Marine was finished. Removing his glasses, the medic left them on the nightstand next to his Joe communicator.

Billy's shower didn't last long after Edwin came into the bedroom. The Marine, not caring for the confines of any clothing now that his back had aired and was clean, exited the bathroom with nothing but a towel about his hips. Lifeline looked up and over at the sound of the bathroom door opening, though without his glasses on, Billy appeared as nothing more than a fuzzy silohuette framed in light. Smiling a little, Billy walked over and around the bed, sitting beside Lifeline. He was freshly showered and shaven, and smelled faintly of shaving gel and soap.

"Feel better?" Edwin asked, the Marine much clearer in his vision now that he was closer. Without a shirt on, the medic could see how much paler Billy looked, his muscular chest and arms looking less defined since he had seen him last. It wasn't very surprising however since the other man had been laid up in a hospital bed for the better part of five months.

"Much better," Billy said with a smile, leaning against Edwin a little. "Although I seriously need to get some sun soon... I look like a ghost."

"I wouldn't advise it until you finish this round of antibiotics that Rebecca has you on."

"Oh believe me, I know it." Billy's smile took on a wry edge. "Never thought I'd see the day the sun made me sick."

Edwin chuckled. "Feeling like a vampire?"

"Maybe a little," Billy replied, leaning and giving Edwin a playful nip.

"Hey! I already donated, Count Coen."

That drew a laugh from the other man, and he repeated the nip. "You weren't complaining about this fifteen minutes ago..." He murmured.

"Didn't know you were keeping track..."

"I do sometimes."

The medic leaned in closer and pressed his lips to Billy's. With a soft sound, Billy pressed more firmly into the kiss, his arm sliding around his lover as he did so. Edwin tilted his head a bit to the side, sealing their mouths mouth tightly together as the kiss became more intense, his dark eyes sliding closed as he slipped his arm around the Marine. Billy moaned softly, his lips parting with the sound as he pressed closer to the other man. Lifeline's tongue slipped into his lover's mouth, a soft sound escaping from him as it found it's like, brushing against it.

As Billy's tongue twined with his lover's, he brought his free hand up to brush Edwin's cheek. The medic's hand slid up the Marine's back a bit, his fingers brushing over the scarred skin. Though Rebecca and her staff at STRATCOM had done what they could to repair the damage done to Billy's back by the parasite, including a series of skin grafts, the blue-eyed man would still bear scars.

Shuddering at the touch, Billy heard a quiet sound rising in his own throat. The skin was sensitive to the touch, and it had not yet healed to the point of feeling like his own skin. Misinterpreting both the sound and the reaction, Edwin's hand dropped away as he pulled back, breaking the kiss, his brown eyes concerned as he looked at his lover's face.

"I'm okay," Billy said softly. "That just... feels a little strange, still. Rebecca said there was a chance it would be that way for awhile." He reached out and took Edwin's hand in his. "But you didn't hurt me."

Lifeline quietly looked at Billy for a moment or two, the medic apparently contemplating something. Lifting their joined hands, he brought them up to his chest just over his heart. "B-Billy... " he started, his voice barely more than a whisper.

Blinking at the softness of Edwin's tone, Billy reached out with his free hand, and touched Edwin's cheek. "What is it?" he replied quietly, feeling the medic's heartbeat against his hand.

"I uh..." Lifeline licked his lips. "I uh..." his hand tightened a bit. "I – I'd like for you to move in with me." the medic finally managed to say.

Billy couldn't help the smile that crossed his features. "You... you sure?"

Edwin nodded his head. "You're here all the time anyway, might as well make it official."

"I'd love to," the Marine said softly.

Billy's agreement brought a full real smile to the medic's face and he lifted their joined hands to his lips, brushing them over the other man's knuckles. Billy pulled Edwin close, and kissed him gently. "Now, lover mine," He said softly, smiling back. "I think I'm ready for a good night's sleep in _our_ bed, in _our_ place... we can talk more in the morning..."

"Yes Sir," Lifeline said as he wrapped his arms around the Marine once again before pulling the man down with him as laid back on the bed. "Welcome home, Devil Dog."


End file.
